Heavy rainfall in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) on Tuesday evening handicapped the roads with massive traffic jams and caused disruptions in airport operations, resulting in 15 flights being diverted to other places.
Of the 15 diverted flights, eight were diverted to Jaipur, five to Lucknow and two others to Chandigarh.
Heavy rain lashed Delhi-NCR as the India Meteorological Department issued an orange alert for parts of the city.
Airport ops hit
The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) issued an advisory for its passengers and said that flight operations are impacted.
"Our on-ground teams are diligently working with all stakeholders to ensure a seamless and efficient passenger experience. Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight updates," it added.
Several airlines also issued advisories amid the heavy rainfall. Air India said that the downpour "may impact flight operations to and from Delhi" on Tuesday.
It asked passengers to check their flight status on the airline's website before they head to the airport, allowing them extra time for their journey amid slow-moving traffic.
In its advisory, IndiGo said, "There’s a heavy downpour over #Delhi at the moment, causing some temporary disruption to flight schedules. If you’re travelling today, please be aware of potential delays and allow additional time for your journey, especially with traffic moving slower than usual."
{{/usCountry}}In its advisory, IndiGo said, "There’s a heavy downpour over #Delhi at the moment, causing some temporary disruption to flight schedules. If you’re travelling today, please be aware of potential delays and allow additional time for your journey, especially with traffic moving slower than usual."
{{/usCountry}}The airline said that it is monitoring the situation closely. It also asked passengers to check the status of their respective flights before leaving.
"Due to bad weather in Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may be affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status via" the airline's website, said SpiceJet.
Traffic snarls on Delhi roads
Massive trail of vehicles were seen on the roads of Delhi amid heavy rainfall, triggering inconvenience for the commuters who had to be stuck in the same place for longer time periods.
Visuals from central Delhi areas like ITO and Vikas Marg showed slow-moving traffic on Tuesday evening.
Netizens also took to X to bash the traffic snarls, with one user saying, "Delhi- this is the way to the airport. CP to Dhaula Kuan - 1 hour 45 minutes -- same story -- waterlogged roads, horrible traffic! Nothing changes."
"Stuck in traffic on Arya Samaj Road (Karol Bagh) for the past 3:30 hours," wrote another. An X user said, "Heavy traffic jam in Noida to Delhi route, Dharmshilla Hospital since last 30 minutes. Not a single vehicle is moving. No traffic police available."
"Massive traffic jam on Dhaula Kuan- Gurgaon Road, Delhi Cantt, Palam, Dwarka. Terrible," quipped another.