Record rainfall,more traffic snarls

As expected,the rain resulted in water-logging and traffic jams,especially in places where work is in progress for the Commonwealth Games. Major Games projects like Shivaji Stadium and Chattrasal Stadium were also water-logged.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rains for Thursday too,warning that the downpour will be heavy to very heavy in some areas. “The rains are a result of a combination of monsoon and upper air cyclonic circle. The axis of monsoon though is passing through Jammu and Kashmir and there is also a cyclonic formation. Owing to it,squalls are expected in many parts of Jammu and Kashmir,Rajasthan,Northern Haryana,Western UP,Punjab and Delhi over the next 24 hours,” said the officer on duty at the Safdarjung Met office.

The record for the heaviest rain in a day in August was in 1961 at 184 mm. Last year,the heaviest rains for August was 74.4 mm.

Many people were caught unawares by the sudden downpour. Sweta Khurana (24) was on Lodhi Road when is started raining. She got drenched in a minute and after finding an auto,it took her an hour to reach Parliament Street. “It was horrible. I am still shivering,” she told Newsline over the phone. Many others had similar experiences to share. The jams only got worse as the peak hour started.

South Delhi and West Delhi were the worst affected by water-logging. As the MCD received over 223 complaints of water-logging,its claims of having completed desilting of all 1,500 stormwater drains under it were washed away. The debris strewn all over the city only added to the chaos by clogging stormwater drains. Commuters had a tough time negotiating areas dug up for Games works.

The traffic police were quick to blame water-logging for the jams. “We were literally helpless. The situation actually went out of our control and we had to seek help from the local police and press PCR vans into action. But that hardly brought any relief as the roads were all under water,” said Ajay Chadha,Special CP (Traffic).

JAMMED

Chandni Chowk,ITO,Old Delhi Railway station,Connaught Place,Anand Vihar ISBT,Sarai Kale Khan,Karol Bagh,Chattarsal Stadium,Rani Jhansi Road,Bhajanpura Stand,Pusa Road,

between Talkatora and Shankar Road roundabouts,

Azad Market,Mathura Road,South Extension,IIT,

Pusa Road to

Karol Bagh,

GPO roundabout,under IP Flyover,between Burari

and Wazirabad.

Boy electrocuted on water-logged road

NEW DELHI: A 14-year-old boy was electrocuted in Southeast Delhi when he accidentally touched an electric wire which had fallen on a waterlogged road on Wednesday night,the police said. The incident was reported from the B block of New Friends Colony at around 7.30 pm,they said. “The boy was on a cycle and was crossing the water-logged road. He apparently did not know that a live wire had fallen in and was electrocuted the moment he came in contact with the water,” an officer said.