NEW DELHI: Heavy rain continued to pound Delhi-NCR on Friday evening, crippling traffic across the national capital and neighbouring Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad as office-goers struggled through massive traffic snarls, waterlogged roads and stranded vehicles during the peak rush hour.The India Meteorological Department (IMD), which had earlier issued a red alert for Delhi, warned of moderate rain at many places and heavy rain at isolated locations accompanied by moderate thunderstorms and lightning over the next few hours.As the downpour intensified through the evening, traffic conditions worsened across several arterial roads.Heavy traffic was reported on Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, ITO, Wazirabad Road, Patel Road, Rohtak Road, Shankar Road, the Kirti Nagar stretch, the Delhi-Jaipur Highway, Peeragarhi and Shaheen Bagh.Long queues of vehicles were seen crawling through waterlogged stretches, with several commuters reporting hours-long delays.Traffic congestion also intensified in parts of East Delhi, including GT Road, GTB Enclave and Dilshad Garden. Similar scenes were witnessed across Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad, where key roads remained choked due to continuous rainfall.Waterlogging was reported from several low-lying areas, including Dakshinpuri, Okhla, Sangam Vihar, Sainik Farms and stretches of Mehrauli-Badarpur Road. Several vehicles were seen stuck on submerged roads as overflowing drains and poor visibility further slowed traffic movement.Residents of Valmiki Basti in Fatehpur Beri village said the colony has been grappling with flooding for decades, blaming an incomplete stormwater drain and alleged encroachments downstream for the recurring inundation.“This is Valmiki Basti inside Fatehpur Beri village. Several of families are affected whenever it rains. There is a government drain here, but further ahead farmhouse owners have blocked it. We are fighting a legal battle in the Delhi High Court, and the government is also supporting us,” Rishipal Mashe, a resident, he stated.Locals said the problem has persisted for nearly 60 years, with heavy rainfall repeatedly causing water to enter homes and damage property.“As you have just seen, nearly five feet of water has filled the entire village. Water has entered all our houses, damaging whatever food and household belongings we had,” another local said, adding that rainwater and sewage from the village collect across nearly 70 acres of low-lying land before the natural flow is obstructed further downstream.Amid the worsening weather, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport issued a travel advisory, saying, “Due to inclement weather conditions in Delhi and waterlogging at certain locations, traffic movement on roads leading to and around the airport may be slower than usual.” The airport operator requested passengers to “plan for additional travel time to reach the airport” and advised them to consider alternative modes of transport, including the Delhi Metro, to avoid delays.Air India also issued a travel advisory, stating, “Adverse weather conditions and airport congestion are affecting flight operations to and from Delhi.” The airline urged passengers to check the latest flight status before heading to the airport.IndiGo, too, cautioned passengers about weather-related disruptions, saying, “Due to adverse weather conditions in #Delhi flight operations are impacted.” The airline advised travellers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport and said, “Please allow extra time for your commute, as slow-moving traffic may affect road travel en route to the airport.”The weather office has forecast light to moderate rainfall over Delhi till August 10, with intermittent heavy spells likely to continue disrupting normal life.As rain continued unabated till evening, commuters were advised to avoid unnecessary travel and expect prolonged delays across Delhi-NCR.(With agency inputs)
