Delhi struggles on 2nd straight rainy day

New Delhi/GurugramFallen trees, waterlogged roads, flight delays and traffic logjams greeted people in Delhi and the National Capital Region for a second consecutive day on Saturday as sudden bursts of rainfall exposed the city’s weaknesses just days before it hosts several world leaders for the Brics Summit

New Delhi/Gurugram

Vehicle wades through a waterlogged stretch after heavy monsoon rains at Gurugram-Sohna Road on Saturday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Fallen trees, waterlogged roads, flight delays and traffic logjams greeted people in Delhi and the National Capital Region for a second consecutive day on Saturday as sudden bursts of rainfall exposed the city’s weaknesses just days before it hosts several world leaders for the Brics Summit.

The Summit is scheduled to be held at Bharat Mandapam on September 12 and 13, bringing together delegations of 11Brics member and partner countries to the Capital.

A day earlier, flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport were hit and the passenger forecourt areas flooded with ankle-deep water. On Saturday, the weather disrupted at least 100 flights delayed, according to flight tracking websites.

Residents said that notwithstanding it being a Saturday — road traffic is generally lighter on weekends —waterlogging at multiple locations resulted in long queues and slow movement.

“I was supposed to make a delivery but the main road itself is flooded with water till the waist and my motorcycle has now stopped working. I just dragged it out and will not be able to make any delivery today. It always gets flooded in this area but there is excessive water today,” said Mohan Kumar, a quick commerce delivery partner at Mahipalpur.

The Delhi Traffic Police issued a “humble appeal to all citizens”, stating: “Traffic movement may be affected at various locations in Delhi due to temporary waterlogging following rainfall and rehearsals in connection with the upcoming Brics Summit.”

It said its personnel were on the ground to assist commuters and urged people not to stop or park under bridges, underpasses or on waterlogged stretches. “Please drive cautiously, remain patient, follow the directions of traffic personnel and, wherever possible, use alternative routes,” the traffic police said.

The Delhi government, meanwhile, conducted a joint inspection on Saturday to review preparedness of the route from Bharat Mandapam to IGI Airport ahead of the Brics 2026 summit. The inspection, chaired by the chief secretary, assessed roads, potholes, footpaths, drainage and waterlogging, cleanliness, branding and overall civic appearance, with multiple agencies asked to work on the deficiencies and wind up within three days.

Neighbouring Gurugram also buckled under continuous rainfall for a second consecutive day, as 27mm of rainfall —most of it in a quick spell around 7.30am—left key roads and usual trouble spots severely waterlogged.

The Gurugram district administration advised the public to avoid non-essential travel, as far as possible. “Citizens are further advised to avoid waterlogged roads, underpasses and low-lying areas; stay away from trees, electric poles and overhead wires; and refrain from crossing flooded stretches. All concerned departments and emergency response agencies have been directed to remain vigilant and take necessary precautionary measures,” the advisory read.

Delhi suffers

Among the worst affected areas in Delhi was Mahipalpur, where extensive waterlogging brought vehicular movement to a crawl. Waterlogging was also reported on NH48, between the IGI Airport and Dhaula Kuan, around the Palam airport tunnel and on Neem Chowk Road in Sangam Vihar.

Other affected areas included Shakarpur, Laxmi Nagar, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Dwarka and several stretches of Sangam Vihar. The Outer Circle of Connaught Place also witnessed waterlogging, with high-powered pumps deployed to drain accumulated water and reports of rainwater entering nearby shops.

The rain also affected airport-bound traffic. The NH48 corridor, including stretches near the airport and Mahipalpur, witnessed severe congestion. On Friday, heavy rain had already caused water accumulation around Terminal 3 and disrupted flight operations, with several flights diverted because of adverse weather.

Several fallen trees also blocked traffic movement on key roads. The Delhi Police also shared a video, showing a large tree fallen on Mathura Road, between Apollo Hospital and Ashram Chowk, adding to the disruption caused by waterlogging. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) received complaints of fallen trees from Sarita Vihar, Palam, Malviya Nagar, Civil Lines, Kamla Nagar, Madanpur Khadar, Sheikh Sarai and Madipur.

Officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) said that they received 42 complaints of waterlogging and fallen trees or branches following rainfall on Saturday.

“Civic teams deployed pumps and manpower at several locations, including Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Sainik Farm, Janakpuri, Udyog Nagar and Paharganj. Most waterlogging complaints were resolved within 10 to 60 minutes, while Udyog Nagar took around two hours,” said a senior PWD official, adding that drain remodelling is planned or underway at MB Road, Udyog Nagar and Janakpuri.

Police said calls from commuters were received from NH48, Mahipalpur, Sangam Vihar, Shakarpur, Laxmi Nagar and Mehrauli-Badarpur Road. Delhi Traffic Police said traffic around ITO, Connaught Place and KG Marg was also affected along with Akshardham stretch. Due to heavy rains, traffic was also disrupted at Greater Kailash 1 and 2, Savitri flyover and Okhla.

Delhi Fire Services said they received four calls related to waterlogging and tree falling on Saturday.

Gurugram drowns

The downpour in the Millennium City picked up pace around 7.30am, and left key stretches waterlogged within minutes. Perennial trouble spots at MG Road, sector 31, Sector 46, Sector 10, Sector 12, Narsinghpur, Sector 69, Sector 70, among others, were among the worst affected.

Older sectors fared no better, with major arterial roads, including Sheetla Mata Road, Old Delhi-Gurugram Road, and stretches connecting sectors 9A, 10, and 17 waterlogged up to at least two feet. In Sector 15 Part 2, run-off entered internal colony roads and threatened ground-floor residences, forcing residents to park vehicles on elevated ramps.

RK Jaiswal, a resident of Sector 69, said, “The Tulip Chowk was entirely flooded, and water flowed into the Badshahpur village as well. It is impossible to get out of our homes and get on the roads.”

Vehicles and pedestrians were seen wading through knee-deep water in Badshahpur, Sheetla Mata Mandir, Sector 10, Darbaripur, Airia Mall, Sector 45, Udyog Vihar and several other key stretches on Saturday. The Bajghera underpass, which was waterlogged, remained sealed on Saturday.

Archana Gulati, a resident of Subhash Chowk, said, “There is waterlogging in the streets, and in addition to that, the road from Subhash Chowk to JMD Gardens has been blocked due to the annual Goga Navmi mela at Goga temple, completely restricting our movement.”

(With inputs from Jignasa Sinha)