Rain hits rush hour, causes traffic jams

Waterlogging in several areas added to the misery of those stuck in traffic jams. Snarls weer reported from Connaught Place, Karol Bagh, Sarojini Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, Sarita Vihar, Okhla, Dhaula Kuan and Naraina.

Showers on Thursday during the evening traffic rush hour triggered traffic jams on arterial roads in the city.

Thursday‘s evening showers caused vehicles to be held up on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on Thursday. (Parveen Kumar/ Hindustan Times)

The showers, however, bring respite from the muggy weather as the minimum and maximum temperatures came down a notch.

In neighbouring Gurgaon, it was another chaotic day for commuters as the roads, including the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and service lanes, were jammed till noon because of water logging and the ongoing kanwar yatra.

Waterlogging in several areas added to the misery of those stuck in traffic jams. Snarls weer reported from Connaught Place, Karol Bagh, Sarojini Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, Sarita Vihar, Okhla, Dhaula Kuan and Naraina.

Residents complained that despite tall claims by the road maintenance agencies that they have cleaned the drains, there was no end to the problem of inundated roads.

“Even if it rains for a few minutes, roads are blocked. All the local streets and roads in Lajpat Nagar were inundated on Thursday evening. There is no end to the monsoon chaos,” said Pawan Arora, a resident of Lajpat Nagar-I.

“We tried calling up the number several times but could not get any help,” said Ankita Rastogi, a resident of Uttam Nagar.

Three people, including a woman, sustained minor injuries after a portion of a three-storey building collapsed in Central Delhi’s Karol Bagh on Thursday evening.

Police said the building was dilapidated. Due to heavy rain on Wednesday and Thursday, water seeped into the structure and a portion of the fist floor collapsed. Two adjacent shops were damaged.

“Three people sustained bruises and received first-aid at a hospital. We have registered a case of negligence,” DCP central Paramaditya said.

The Met office has predicted rain on Friday. “The skies will be partly cloudy. Moderate rain is likely to occur in several parts of the city. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover between 30 degrees and 24 degrees, respectively,” the official said.

The Safdarjung observatory, the reading of which is considered the official figure for the city, recorded 14.1 mm rainfall between 8.30am and 5.30pm on Thursday.