Heavy rains lashed Delhi, the National Capital Region (NCR), Hyderabad, and Lucknow on Wednesday morning, killing seven people in Hyderabad. Massive traffic jams and water-logging affected commuters across these cities.
All flights were delayed at the New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport due to the heavy rainfall, with one flight diverted to Jaipur. Heavy rain also disrupted traffic at Rajiv Chowk in Gurugram, Haryana. The fresh downpour also threw traffic out of gear in several parts of Delhi.
Massive jams were reported on major roads in Delhi and between the national capital and Gurugram, where police issued an advisory on Twitter, and asked people to be “patient and disciplined” and “stick to their lanes”.
“Water logging on Ring Road Dhaula Kuan, Bhairon Road towards Mathura Road, Roundabout Teen Murti, IGNOU Road, IP Flyover towards Sarai, Kale Khan, Barapullah flyover towards DND, Ashram Chowk, Ring Road Maharani Bagh, Lajpat Nagar, Sarai Kale Khan, Raja Garden towards Mayapuri, Gymkhana towards Teen Murti Marg,” Delhi Traffic Police said in a series of tweets.
“Avoid waterlogged roads. Keep central locking deactivated while driving through waterlogged roads,” the police added.
“If the water is deep enough to submerge your vehicle’s exhaust pipe, then try to avoid the road. #BeRainSafe,” the police said in another tweet.
United States Secretary of State John Kerry’s motorcade to the Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi), where he delivered an address to students, was also delayed due to water-logging. He reached the venue an hour late and began his talk by cracking a joke, “Have you come here in boats?” Secretary Kerry’s scheduled visits to the Sisganj Gurudwara, Jama Masjid and the Gauri Shankar Temple were cancelled due to the inclement weather.
Seven dead in Hyderabad
In Hyderabad, where at least seven were killed as heavy rains lashed the city, the downpour brought life in the city to a standstill. Low-lying areas were flooded and roads were congested for hours with overflowing manholes.
A couple and their two children were killed after a wall collapsed in Ramanthapur area following the incessant rains. Four children were among those killed in incidents of wall or house collapsing. In another incident in Bholakpur, a woman and her two daughters died when the roof of their house collapsed during the rain.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has opened a helpline and put its emergency squads into service to drain waterlogged areas. The GHMC commissioner Janardhan Reddy has appealed to people not to venture out of their houses.
Lucknow civic body not prepared
In Lucknow and parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, rain brought down temperatures considerably, as officials of the regional Met department said the rains would continue throughout the day. Severe waterlogging was reported from the old city and many low-lying areas, after it rained for close to three hours, beginning around 4 am.
The municipal corporation did not seem prepared as the city has not received much rain in the past two years, reported IANS. Drains were not clean, causing the rains to lead to severe water logging even in areas which have never faced floods. Officials at the municipal corporation admitted to poor cleaning and added that operations were underway to unclog the bigger drains.
Attendance in schools dipped to 40-50 percent because children faced the rains while they were on the road and many had to turn back. Early morning flights were slightly delayed as well.
Traffic jam in Chennai
Chennai, which saw its worst ever floods last year that had submerged many parts of the city, has not seen much rain this year and August has been very dry. It was only on August 28 that the city received some rain (28 mm), and then again on August 30, which is still continuing. Rain this afternoon caused traffic jams on various roads across the city.
In the last 24 hours, the rain was due to cyclonic circulation over Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, and the adjoining Comorin area, and another cyclonic circulation over the North Andhra Pradesh coast. This rainfall is predicted to continue over North Tamil Nadu and Chennai for the next two days. Madurai, Tiruchi, and Salem are among the other cities that are likely to receive rain in the next 24 hours.
The last 21 hours have been 27 mm of rain over the Meenambakkam observatory and 11 mm over Nugambakkam. However, currently, Chennai is rainfall deficient by 35 per cent for the monsoon season, as till date the city has received 205.7 mm of rainfall, against the normal rainfall of 316 mm.
All flights were delayed at the New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport due to the heavy rainfall, with one flight diverted to Jaipur. Heavy rain also disrupted traffic at Rajiv Chowk in Gurugram, Haryana. The fresh downpour also threw traffic out of gear in several parts of Delhi.
Massive jams were reported on major roads in Delhi and between the national capital and Gurugram, where police issued an advisory on Twitter, and asked people to be “patient and disciplined” and “stick to their lanes”.
“Water logging on Ring Road Dhaula Kuan, Bhairon Road towards Mathura Road, Roundabout Teen Murti, IGNOU Road, IP Flyover towards Sarai, Kale Khan, Barapullah flyover towards DND, Ashram Chowk, Ring Road Maharani Bagh, Lajpat Nagar, Sarai Kale Khan, Raja Garden towards Mayapuri, Gymkhana towards Teen Murti Marg,” Delhi Traffic Police said in a series of tweets.
“Avoid waterlogged roads. Keep central locking deactivated while driving through waterlogged roads,” the police added.
“If the water is deep enough to submerge your vehicle’s exhaust pipe, then try to avoid the road. #BeRainSafe,” the police said in another tweet.
United States Secretary of State John Kerry’s motorcade to the Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi), where he delivered an address to students, was also delayed due to water-logging. He reached the venue an hour late and began his talk by cracking a joke, “Have you come here in boats?” Secretary Kerry’s scheduled visits to the Sisganj Gurudwara, Jama Masjid and the Gauri Shankar Temple were cancelled due to the inclement weather.
Seven dead in Hyderabad
In Hyderabad, where at least seven were killed as heavy rains lashed the city, the downpour brought life in the city to a standstill. Low-lying areas were flooded and roads were congested for hours with overflowing manholes.
A couple and their two children were killed after a wall collapsed in Ramanthapur area following the incessant rains. Four children were among those killed in incidents of wall or house collapsing. In another incident in Bholakpur, a woman and her two daughters died when the roof of their house collapsed during the rain.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has opened a helpline and put its emergency squads into service to drain waterlogged areas. The GHMC commissioner Janardhan Reddy has appealed to people not to venture out of their houses.
Lucknow civic body not prepared
In Lucknow and parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, rain brought down temperatures considerably, as officials of the regional Met department said the rains would continue throughout the day. Severe waterlogging was reported from the old city and many low-lying areas, after it rained for close to three hours, beginning around 4 am.
The municipal corporation did not seem prepared as the city has not received much rain in the past two years, reported IANS. Drains were not clean, causing the rains to lead to severe water logging even in areas which have never faced floods. Officials at the municipal corporation admitted to poor cleaning and added that operations were underway to unclog the bigger drains.
Attendance in schools dipped to 40-50 percent because children faced the rains while they were on the road and many had to turn back. Early morning flights were slightly delayed as well.
Traffic jam in Chennai
Chennai, which saw its worst ever floods last year that had submerged many parts of the city, has not seen much rain this year and August has been very dry. It was only on August 28 that the city received some rain (28 mm), and then again on August 30, which is still continuing. Rain this afternoon caused traffic jams on various roads across the city.
In the last 24 hours, the rain was due to cyclonic circulation over Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, and the adjoining Comorin area, and another cyclonic circulation over the North Andhra Pradesh coast. This rainfall is predicted to continue over North Tamil Nadu and Chennai for the next two days. Madurai, Tiruchi, and Salem are among the other cities that are likely to receive rain in the next 24 hours.
The last 21 hours have been 27 mm of rain over the Meenambakkam observatory and 11 mm over Nugambakkam. However, currently, Chennai is rainfall deficient by 35 per cent for the monsoon season, as till date the city has received 205.7 mm of rainfall, against the normal rainfall of 316 mm.