Intermittent rain causes traffic snarl on key Delhi roads

New DelhiIntermittent rainfall across the Capital from Wednesday afternoon to evening led to waterlogging of some key roads and triggered snarls on the Ring Road and major arterial roads during the evening rush hour

New Delhi

People out in the rain near Akshardham Temple on Wednesday. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

Intermittent rainfall across the Capital from Wednesday afternoon to evening led to waterlogging of some key roads and triggered snarls on the Ring Road and major arterial roads during the evening rush hour.

Among the worst-hit stretches was the stretch of the Ring Road between Lajpat Nagar and Sarai Kale Khan-Indraprastha Park, where traffic crawled for nearly two to three hours due to water accumulation near the Barapullah flyway, close to the Sarai Kale Khan bus terminal CNG station. The carriageway of the Barapullah flyway towards Sarai Kale Khan from south Delhi was also severely logjammed.

A senior traffic police officer, who did not wish to be named, said, “Traffic remained heavy on the two routes for two-three hours because vehicles moved slowly due to waterlogging. We informed the civic and roadowning agencies, who arranged a water pump and cleared the waterlogged area. By the time the issue was resolved, the routes were packed with evening peak-hour traffic. We deployed extra traffic personnel to regulate the flow of traffic and clear the jam.”

Long queues of vehicles were also reported on stretches of the Outer Ring Road and arterial roads, including Mathura Road, Delhi-Meerut Expressway and the adjoining NH-9. Traffic jams were also reported on the Vikas Marg, Aurobindo Marg, Kalindi Kunj-Sarita Vihar corridor, Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) Flyway, Purana Quila Road, Okhla Estate Marg, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road and Lala Lajpat Rai Road.

“I left my office at Nehru Place around 6pm and expected to reach Noida in about 45 minutes, but it took me nearly two hours. Vehicles on the stretch near Sarai Kale Khan were barely moving, and once vehicle flow increased, every connecting road was also logjammed,” said Rajesh Kumar, a 38-year-old commuter.