Heavy Rains Flood Delhi and Gurugram, Causing Widespread Disruption
A sudden and intense downpour on Sunday wreaked havoc in Delhi and Gurugram, as the monsoon season continued to expose the vulnerabilities of the region’s infrastructure. The heavy rainfall, which deviated significantly from the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast, resulted in severe flooding on key roads, major traffic disruptions, flight diversions, and tragic fatalities. Two children lost their lives in incidents related to the rain, adding to the grim toll of the unpredictable monsoon season.
The IMD had initially issued a “yellow alert” for Delhi and its surrounding areas, predicting “light to moderate rain” with rainfall amounts ranging between 2.5mm and 64.4mm. However, the situation quickly escalated, with large parts of Gurugram and Delhi inundated by the unexpected deluge. It wasn’t until 9 am on Sunday that the IMD upgraded the alert to “orange,” by which time the damage was already widespread.
Gurugram, in particular, bore the brunt of the rainfall, with data from the city’s automatic weather station indicating 20.5mm of rain in the 24 hours leading up to 8:30 am on Sunday. The situation worsened dramatically after 5:30 am, as an additional 80mm of rain fell in the following nine hours, pushing the total rainfall into the “heavy” category. Similarly, parts of Delhi received substantial rainfall, with areas like Najafgarh recording 36.5mm of rain by 8:30 am. The Ridge and Delhi University stations in North Delhi reported 35.6mm and 27.5mm, respectively, during the same period.
The rain continued into the afternoon, with Najafgarh receiving an additional 28.5mm between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm. Other parts of the city, including Mayur Vihar (57mm), Aya Nagar (49.4mm), Palam (45.2mm), Lodhi Road (30.8mm), and Safdarjung (28.8mm), also experienced significant rainfall. Safdarjung, the city’s base weather station, has now recorded 185mm of rain this month, approaching its August average of 233.1mm.
The IMD has faced criticism for its inaccurate forecasts, particularly during this monsoon season. For instance, on June 28, when the monsoon initially arrived in Delhi-NCR, the IMD predicted “light to moderate rain,” but the city was instead hit with over 200mm of rain. A similar situation occurred on August 1, when several stations in Delhi recorded over 100mm of rain, despite the initial forecast predicting only light to moderate showers.
As the rain continued, the Delhi Traffic Police issued advisories urging commuters to avoid waterlogged areas, including the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Outer Ring Road from Chirag Dilli to Nehru Place, Anuvrat Marg, Najafgarh Phirni Road, and Rohtak Road. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) reported 25 incidents of waterlogging and fallen trees throughout the city. Areas affected by waterlogging included Rohini’s Sector 4, Sector 19 Dwarka, Naraina Industrial Area, and Mangolpuri, among others. Meanwhile, trees were uprooted in several neighborhoods, including Mandawli, Madipur, Kamla Nagar, GK-1, Civil Lines, Kalkaji, West Punjabi Bagh, Hari Nagar, Bindapur, and Rajouri Garden.
In one incident, the wall of a government school in New Ashok Nagar collapsed, crushing several parked vehicles. Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident.
The unexpected and intense rainfall, coupled with the IMD’s inaccurate forecasts, has highlighted the fragility of the region’s civic infrastructure. As the monsoon season progresses, the need for better preparedness and more accurate weather predictions becomes increasingly apparent, especially as residents continue to navigate the challenges posed by the unpredictable weather.