New Delhi, Aug 2 (IANS) Waterlogged roads, stranded vehicles and traffic snarls threw life out of gear in the Indian capital Thursday after one spell of heavy rains overnight. Tall claims by municipal authorities that city drains had been cleaned before the monsoon were proved hollow.
School students who depend on car pools stood in ankle-deep water next to stalled cars, thumbing for lifts. Those commuting by bus waited and waited in many areas as buses joined smaller vehicles in crawling through the single lanes where the water was relatively shallow.
Major business districts such as Indraprastha Estate in central Delhi and major commuter intersections such Dhaula Kuan in south Delhi, Raja Garden in west Delhi and Rajghat in central Delhi were completely waterlogged, adding to the woes of the commuters.
People who commute to and from the satellite townships Gurgaon and Faridabad had a harrowing time as the roads connecting them to Delhi were also waterlogged.
Few Delhi University colleges could start their classes on time as the north campus roads also went under water.
Most residents welcomed the 16 mm of torrential rains that fell overnight and the accompanying cool breeze when they woke up Thursday, especially considering the long hot and humid spell that had preceded the rain. But it became another matter when they had to go to work.
The met office has predicted more rains Thursday and Friday.
All over Delhi, delayed commuters could be seen wading through water and dodging through traffic as they were forced to jump out of stranded buses or auto rickshaws and finish the commute on foot.
“I am already late as I had to get down nearly three kilometres ahead of my office,” rued an employee of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences who was hurrying to his destination.
“This is the situation in national capital. One spell of rain and life is halted,” said Tariq Ahmed, an employee with an IT company.