Delhi rain: Traffic glacial as impact of rain spills on to streets

A senior traffic police officer said at least 18 big and small Jagannath Rath Yatras were taken out in Delhi between and evening, prompting the police to deploy personnel on security and traffic duty.

The Delhi traffic police were kept busy on Friday and vehicular traffic movement went for a toss in several parts of the city — especially south, west and north Delhi — owing to religious processions, waterlogging, as well as road repair works being carried out by civic agencies.

A massive traffic jam seen on Ring Road at Ashram Chowk in New Delhi, India, on Friday, July 1, 2022. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times)

Noon onwards, the traffic police’s social media handles kept issuing alerts to motorists about congestion, diversions and delays. Several harried commuters also took to social media to vent their ire and seek help from the police to reach their destinations.

A senior traffic police officer said at least 18 big and small Jagannath Rath Yatras were taken out in Delhi between and evening, prompting the police to deploy personnel on security and traffic duty.

Around 1pm, the traffic police tweeted, “Please avoid the stretch on Aurobindo Marg from IIT Flyover to AIIMS, both carriageways, today from 1.30 PM to 5.30 PM. Motorists are advised to take August Kranti Marg.”

The officer said around 2pm, nearly 20,000 people took out a rath yatra from the Jagannath temple in Hauz Khas Village towards AIIMS via IIT flyover. The procession turned back near AIIMS and returned to Hauz Khas Village. Both carriageways on Aurobindo Marg were affected and traffic was diverted to alternative routes.

“Around the same time, another religious procession started from near Thyagaraj Stadium and continued till INA Market before turning back. The two processions caused jams on the routes they took and also on Barapullah elevated road,” said the officer, asking not to be named.

Heavy traffic was also seen on Najafgarh Road, Zakhira flyover, Sarita Vihar underpass, Bawana industrial area, Civil Lines, Rohini, Deoli-Khanpur, and also at Rajgarh Colony in Shahdara area due to religious processions and waterlogging.

The Ring Road from Naraina to Moti Bagh was heavily congested from afternoon till late evening due to road repair works near Dhaula Kuan flyover.

“Kindly avoid Ring Road from Naraina to Moti Bagh between 1400 hrs and 1800 hrs due to repair work,” the traffic police tweeted around 2pm.

Many took to social media to upload images and videos of the gridlocks in various places and sought help from the traffic police to reach their destinations.

“Huge traffic jam on Barapullah Road towards AIIMS, many Ambulances are stuck. PLEASE HELP @dtptraffic @TrafficCP,” a Twitter user named Navdeep Kaur tweeted around 4.30pm.

“@dtptraffic whole Sarita vihar underpass jam with traffic towards okhla… Looks like everything stuck for last 20mins nothing moving inside tunnel,” said a user named Ajay Tripathi.

The stretch around Zakhira flyover in central Delhi’s Anand Parbat saw snarls triggered by waterlogging as two pumps installed there to clear out rainwater became dysfunctional. Vehicles started accumulating at the spot as motorists tried to weave their way around the waterlogged portions and ended up on the opposite carriageways, another traffic police officer said.

Around 3.30pm, the traffic police again tweeted, “Traffic Alert as per IMD report, Light to moderate intensity rain would occur over Delhi and adjoining areas. Commuters are advised to plan their journey accordingly.”