Watch: Delhi minister Atishi visits waterlogged areas in ITO amid heavy rain

Atishi said that the pumping stations in ITO were designed to handle up to 100 mm of rainfall and that the city received a record-breaking 150 mm of rainfall.

Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) minister Atishi visited the waterlogged areas in ITO in the national capital on Sunday amid incessant rainfall recorded since Saturday. She said that within just 24 hours, the city received a record-breaking 150 mm of rainfall, the highest in 40 years.

Delhi minister Atishi visiting the inundated areas in ITO, Delhi. (ANI)

"Almost 20 percent of the total seasonal rainfall has been received by Delhi in just 24 hours. No city's infrastructure can handle such intensity. We are working to improve the infrastructure," Aitshi said.

In a video shared by news agency ANI, Atishi, accompanied by officials, was seen walking through the knee-length rainwater accumulated in the ITO area due to the continuous downpour since Saturday.

Atishi said that the pumping stations in ITO were designed to handle up to 100 mm of rainfall. She further emphasised that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal instructed all officials from PWD, Jal Board, and other departments to work on Sunday considering the heavy rainfall.

Regarding the handling of the rain situation, Atishi stated, “All pumping stations were operational yesterday. Now, we are working to increase our capacity.” She visited the waterlogged areas to assess further measures for water drainage and restoration of normalcy.

The minister also informed, "The water level in the Yamuna river is expected to rise by 11th July as 45,000 cusecs of water have been released from Hathni Kund today."

Waterlogging around Atishi's residence

Meanwhile, the official residence of Delhi PWD minister Atishi has been surrounded by water due to the heavy rainfall, and videos and pictures of the situation have surfaced online. In a video shared by the news agency PTI, knee-length water can be seen surrounding the minister's residence. The video also shows that rainwater has entered inside the residence.

Govt school wall collapses due to rain

Due to heavy rainfall in the national capital, a portion of the boundary wall of a Delhi government school in Srinivaspuri collapsed on Sunday. Sources mentioned that the school had undergone reconstruction just four months ago. However, Delhi PWD minister Atishi, who is also the education minister, stated that the wall was actually 35 years old. She referred to the recorded 150 mm of rainfall in the city as an "unusual climate event."

Atishi instructed senior officials from the education department, as well as school principals and vice-principals, to personally inspect all government schools on Sunday. If any deficiencies or significant issues are found, the school should be cordoned off to prevent any mishaps, as stated in a statement from the Education Minister's office.