Delhi weather highlights: CM Rekha Gupta on-ground for waterlogging inspection

AAP's Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj addressed a press conference today said the BJP controls the city's various civic agencies and it cannot escape responsibility. His remarks came as several areas across the national capital were waterlogged due to heavy rainfall.

There was no immediate response available from the BJP.

"Today, Delhi saw its first rainfall and the entire city is submerged, roads, underground, colonies, everything is waterlogged. This is the reality of the 'four-engine' BJP government," Bharadwaj said.

The BJP controls the NDMC, DDA, PWD, and MCD, he said, adding, "No more excuses. All agencies, whether under the Centre or the state, are now controlled by the BJP".

"If a road belongs to the NDMC, it's the responsibility of the BJP-led central government; if a road belongs to the DDA, it's the responsibility of the BJP’s LG; if a road belongs to the PWD or flood control department, it's the responsibility of the BJP's Delhi government, and if a road belongs to the MCD, then also the BJP is responsible. All four engines are of the BJP now," Bharadwaj added. (PTI)

Power cuts hit homes across Delhi after an early Friday downpour uprooted several trees and electrical installations.

A Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) spokesperson said it received 22 power cut complaints, which were restored within a few minutes to one hour.

"The thunderstorm, heavy rainfall, and strong winds resulted in power disruptions and caused damages to the power lines with uprooted trees and branches falling onto them. Electricity supply was temporarily suspended in certain areas as a precautionary measure to prevent electrocution," he said.

Power cuts were seen in Sultanpuri, Prem Nagar, Vaishali Enclave, Shakurpur, Jahangirpuri, and Mukundpur, the spokesperson said. (PTI)

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta termed the pre-monsoon showers on Friday a warning sign for the capital's crumbling infrastructure, blaming it on the "decade-long development backlog" created by the previous AAP government.

Taking a dig at Arvind Kejriwal, she said the AAP chief was oblivious to the problems of waterlogging and broken trees as he would be busy with his "sound-proof" sleep in the "Sheesh Mahal" -- a term the BJP gave to the former chief minister's official residence accusing it of unnecessary opulence.

"This is not a one-day problem but an issue of backlog of development, system breakdowns and apathy of administration in Delhi in the past 10-15 years," Rekha Gupta said. "These matters would not reach Kejriwal's ears as he used to enjoy sound-proof sleep in his Sheesh Mahal, oblivious of thunderstorms, broken trees and waterlogging." (PTI)

According to the India Meteorological Department, there will be no heat wave conditions in Delhi and national capital region (NCR) till May 8. The weather is also predicted to be similar for next few days. While on Saturday, light to moderate rainfall has been predicted by the weather department, in the upcoming days till May 8, there will likely be light rain or drizzle.

Several parts of Gurgaon were waterlogged on Friday morning, May 2, after heavy rainfall and thunderstorms hit Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), disrupting traffic. Several videos showing the extent of waterlogging surfaced on social media platform X.

In Gurugram, the heavy rainfall resulted in severe waterlogging, leaving commuters and office-goers stranded on flooded roads. Most areas of the city were affected, with only a few locations remaining unaffected, making the morning commute particularly challenging.

The worst-hit areas in Gurugram included the service lane near Narsinghpur on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway, Basai Road, Sector 10, Jharsa Chowk, Sector 4, Sector 7, Sector 9, Sector 48, and Sector 57, as well as Hanuman Chowk, Dhankot, Fazilpur Chowk, Vatika Chowk, Subhash Chowk, Baghtawar Chowk, Jacobpura, Sadar Bazar, Mahavir Chowk, and Dundahera, among others. Read more.

Delhi Airport issued an advisory in the wake of the traffic disruption and road blockages and asked people to use alternative modes of transport such as metro to reach the airport.

“Following the advisory on inclement weather and road blockages around the airport, passengers are advised to consider alternative transportation options, such as the Delhi Metro to avoid delays,” the advisory read.

Reacting to the death of a mother and her three children in Delhi after tree fell over their roof due to thunderstorm and rainfall in the national capital, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta said, “The news of the tragic death of four members of the same family and one person injured due to a tree falling during a fierce storm and rain in Kharkhari Nahar village, Najafgarh, is deeply distressing.”

"I offer my heartfelt tributes to the departed souls and express my profound condolences to the grieving family members. I pray to God to grant the bereaved family the strength to bear this unbearable sorrow and to provide the injured person with a speedy and complete recovery.

In this difficult time, the Delhi government stands with the affected family. Instructions have been given to the district administration to provide all necessary assistance immediately," she added.

Former Delhi chief minister Atishi attacked the BJP government in the national capital over the waterlogging issue in Delhi after rainfall on Friday.

In a post on X, she said, "Visuals from areas near Dhaula Kuan and Delhi airport after the first rain in Delhi.

Is this what the people of Delhi expected from the 4-engine BJP Govt?"

The visuals from the spot where a 26-year-old woman and her three children died after tree fell on their roof show debris of the fallen structure.

A huge uprooted tree fallen upon the pile of bricks can be seen inthe video. The incident happened in Delhi's Najafgarh area on Friday morning due to heavy rainfall and thunderstorm in the national capital.

As Delhi grapples with widespread waterlogging and traffic disruptions following heavy, unseasonal rainfall on early Friday, chief minister Rekha Gupta addressed the crisis, calling the waterlogging problem a "disease" inherited from the previous government.

Speaking to reporters after visiting waterlogged parts of the city, the Delhi CM stated that resolving the issue would take time, assuring residents that the government was actively working to address the problems.

"This disease, which we have got from the previous government, will take time to be cured, and today the Chief Minister of Delhi herself is passing through those roads where thousands of Delhiites are stuck in traffic jams, and the government is fully prepared to fix these problems. Officials are working on the roads. It is our responsibility to fix all these arrangements on time," Gupta said. (ANI)

According to the India Meteorological department, a similar rainy weather will continue on Saturday too in Delhi NCR.

For Saturday, the IMD has predicted generally cloudy sky, light to moderate rain, thunderstorm and lightning accompanied with sustained surface winds with speed of 30-40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta said that she inspected the situation in various areas of Delhi, including Majnu Ka Tila, for waterlogging after severe rainfall in the national capital. Sharing visuals, she said, "Today, I inspected the situation in various areas of Delhi, including Majnu Ka Tila, due to waterlogging caused by rain. To address this issue, I am personally present on the ground with the concerned officials.

Clear instructions have been given to all officials to identify the locations across Delhi where waterlogging has occurred and ensure solutions are implemented."

The India Meteorological Department put out an alert, informing about the severe weather is going on over Delhi NCR and urged the residents to ensure their safety, reported ANI.

The IMD has advised people to stay indoors and avoid travel if possible. The advisory also recommends seeking shelter in a safe location and avoiding taking refuge under trees or near concrete floors and walls. It further advises unplugging electrical and electronic appliances to prevent damage or injury & immediately moving out of water bodies and avoiding objects that conduct electricity.

Many areas in Delhi-NCR witnessed traffic congestion as several trees were uprooted, and vehicles broke down amid heavy waterlogging, due to a rainstorm earlier today.

Visuals from Gurugram. (ANI)

Delhi minister Parvesh Verma shared a video of him visiting waterlogged areas in Delhi to take stock of the situation on Friday morning following heavy rainfall. In a post on X, he said, "Today, due to unseasonal record rainfall, water accumulated in several places in Delhi to some extent. Since 5:30 AM, I visited various locations to assess the situation. At Minto Bridge, I observed that all four pumps were operational, and the operator was also prompt. One pipe had burst, and I have instructed for it to be repaired.

In view of the monsoon, drain cleaning is being continuously carried out by PWD, MCD, DJB, NDMC, and IFC."

A 26-year-old woman and her three minor children were killed while the woman’s husband sustained injuries in Delhi’s Najafgarh area after their house collapsed due to a thunderstorm on Friday morning, police said.

According to a police officer aware of the matter, their control room received a call at 5:26am regarding a collapse in Kharkhari Nagar village in Jafarpur Kalan. Read more.

Over 100 flights have been delayed at the Delhi airport due to extreme weather after heavy rains and thunderstorms lashed the national capital and surrounding areas, reported PTO.

Earlier, three Delhi-bound flights were also diverted due to the weather. Out of them, one flight was diverted to Ahmedabad and two to Jaipur due to adverse weather conditions in the national capital, ANI reported citing sources at Delhi Airport.

After incessant rainfall disrupted flight operations at the Delhi airport on Friday morning, the airport has announced that it is now operating normally. However, some flight operations have been impacted due to adverse weather conditions.

"Our on-ground teams are diligently working with all stakeholders to ensure a seamless and efficient passenger experience. Passengers are requested to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest flight updates," the airport said in an advisory.