New Delhi, Jul 28 (PTI) Delhi witnessed widespread waterlogging, flooded markets and traffic snarls on Tuesday after heavy rainfall lashed the city, with schoolchildren seen wading through waterlogged streets and major commercial areas, including Connaught Place, affected.
The situation also triggered a fresh political battle between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) over the city’s monsoon preparedness.
Slamming the BJP government, AAP’s Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj shared a video on X showing schoolchildren being carried on their parents’ shoulders through waist-deep water in Sadar Bazar.
“In Sadar Bazar, one of Delhi’s largest wholesale markets, schoolchildren are being forced to pass through waist-deep rainwater. Thank you, CM Rekha Gupta. After Gen Z, now Gen Alpha too will remain indebted to the BJP,” he said.
Bharadwaj also alleged that waterlogged roads had caused inconvenience to commuters and shopkeepers, with several vehicles stranded in flooded stretches.
PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, on the other hand, shared a video on X showing traffic moving smoothly on Minto Bridge. “Rain is pouring relentlessly but life on Minto Bridge is moving along at the same pace. The very effort is to ensure that monsoon remains just a season, not a trouble,” he said.
In Rajendra Nagar, a major coaching hub was submerged under water, reviving memories of the 2024 incident in which three civil services aspirants drowned after rainwater entered the basement of a coaching centre. Cars, motorcycles and auto-rickshaws were seen partially submerged in the flooded area.
In Sadar Bazar, knee-deep water inundated narrow lanes, with murky water and floating garbage forcing residents and schoolchildren to wade through the streets. Water also entered several shops, disrupting business.
Sadar Bazar Traders’ Association president Paramjit Singh Pamma said the market remained waterlogged till evening, forcing several shops to shut while rainwater entered many establishments.
He said the recurring flooding was damaging goods ahead of the festive season, with Janmashtami, Raksha Bandhan and Independence Day approaching.
Connaught Place and the adjoining Janpath market also witnessed severe waterlogging. According to the New Delhi Traders’ Association, G Block, A Block and parts of the Outer Circle remained flooded, affecting commercial activity until around 1 pm.
The area had only recently reopened fully after restrictions during last week’s protests.
Traffic crawled across several parts of the city as waterlogged roads led to long jams. A major traffic snarl was reported on NH-09 near the Ghazipur Border (UP Gate), while congestion was also witnessed at ITO, Azadpur, Malviya Nagar, Prahladpur and Kalindi Kunj.
Waterlogging was also reported from Tolstoy Marg, Bharat Mandapam Road, Hanuman Road, Malviya Nagar and Mathura Road near ITO, where office-goers were seen waiting at bus stops amid knee-deep water.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for thunderstorms, lightning and heavy rainfall over the next few hours and forecast a generally cloudy sky with intense spells of rain through the day.
The Principal and Vice Principal Association of Delhi Government Schools said students of the morning shift had already reached schools before conditions worsened, while attendance in the afternoon shift, which begins at 1 pm, was around 50 per cent.
More than 100 complaints related to waterlogging, fallen trees and power outages were received by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Public Works Department (PWD). PTI SHB SHB MDO MDO
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