Record rain batters Delhi, rivers in spate across northern India
Four people were killed as Delhi experienced heavy rainfall, receiving 261mm of rain in just over 24 hours, causing flooding and waterlogged roads.
Four people were killed as Delhi recorded a little over 261mm of rain, or 125% of the amount it receives on average over the entire month of July, between 8.30am on Saturday and 5.30pm on Sunday in one of the wettest spells the Capital has ever recorded.
Read here: Rain to continue: Landslides in Himachal; schools shut in Delhi, Noida on Monday
The fatalities were of people killed by collapsing portions of buildings and uprooted trees. In the 24 hours till 8.30am on Sunday morning, a total 153mm of precipitation was recorded at the Safdarjung station, the third highest figure in the city’s history since records were kept. Between then and 5.30pm, when India Meteorological Department (IMD) last updated data, the city received 105.8mm more.
The downpour meant the city’s roads were waterlogged and many stretches were jammed as water caused deep potholes, and at one crossing in Rohini, a wide sinkhole to open up. IMD officials issued a yellow alert for Monday, predicting light to moderate showers, before the precipitation begins to let up.
In the first nine days of the month, the city has received 296.8 mm of rainfall, nearly 47% of the average it receives during the June-September monsoon season.
Behind the spells of deluge is a rare interaction between monsoon winds blowing in from the south and moist winds from the west (also known as a western disturbance), which has created atmospheric troughs over the northwest of the country, bringing very heavy to extremely heavy spells across several regions.
As a result, several rivers are in spate. A flood alert was issued for Delhi with more than 140,000 cusecs of water released from the Hathnikund barrage on Sunday, upstream on the Yamuna, which will lead to rising levels of the river in the Capital on Tuesday.
The rains led the government to announce that schools will be closed on Monday, a decision that other NCR towns of Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram too took. Delhi also cancelled the leaves of workers on Sunday, with officials and ministers fanning out to parts of the city to survey the situation.
Data compiled by Delhi traffic police suggested there were waterlogging complaints from 54 sites including key underpasses and tunnels. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) received 32 complaints, the Public Works Department 138 and the New Delhi Municipal Corporation 42 complaints on Sunday evening.
Read here: Delhi schools to remain closed on Monday due to rain, announces Kejriwal
Key stretches such as the Minto bridge and Pragati Maidan tunnel were closed while the NDMC was forced to shut down electricity supply in places like the North avenue, Lodhi estate and Bharti Nagar to prevent the risk of electrocution due to flooding inside homes.
Trees were uprooted and branches fell at at least 39 locations, disrupting traffic flow.
Agencies also reported two road cave-ins at Rohini and Najafgarh road, while a house collapsed in Zakhira area near Moti Nagar in west Delhi on Sunday morning when two children were rescued.
The Delhi fire services received 13 calls from various parts of the city regarding houses being damaged or collapsing due to rain.
Experts said the chaos triggered by rains demonstrated the need for proactive steps. “There is likely to be reduction in rain for Delhi and Haryana from Monday. Government should take action based on forecast and not on past weather. Administration needs to be proactive in taking decisions based on forecast,” said Vineet Kumar, researcher, Typhoon Research Center, Jeju National University, South Korea.
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday tweeted that the city had received 15% of its annual monsoon rainfall in just 12 hours due to which there was waterlogging occurred. “All the Sunday leaves are cancelled and officers have been asked to be present on ground. All the ministers and mayor will also inspect problem areas,” Kejriwal said.
The ministers inspected vulnerable areas while BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva alleged that there has been corruption in pre-monsoon desilting, which led to flooding in the city.
PWD minister Atishi inspected preparations at heavy waterlogging points such as ITO, Tilak Bridge, Zakhira and Lawrence road, where she was seen in knee-deep water. “In the last 24 hours, there was a rainfall of more than 150mm. 40 years record has been broken. The monsoon preparation is based on last 5-7 years of weather pattern. We are prepared to cater to 100m rainfall. Now we’re doing all the necessary arrangements for 150mm rainfall... all the ministers are on field since morning,” the minister said at ITO.
At the Mathura road, where the minister’s house is located, there was knee-deep water-logged at the entrance to her residence. Similar situation was reported from neighbourhoods like Defence Colony, Greater Kailash, Friends Colony and Jangpura, where many had their basements flooded.
The data from the IMD shows that 153mm rainfall recorded in 24 hours till 8.30am on Sunday was the highest since July 25, 1982, when the capital had recorded 169.9 mm rainfall. The highest-ever 24hr rainfall in July was recorded on July 20, 1958 when the city received 266.2mm rainfall.
“This is the first time since September 2021 that Delhi has recorded two consecutive days of over 100mm rainfall. The last time was on September 1 and 2, when 112.1mm and 117.7mm were recorded respectively,” the official added.
The break-up of rainfall over various stations in Delhi shows that maximum rainfall was observed near Safdarjung base observatory and Lodhi road (116mm). The other stations saw Palam 29.6mm, Ridge 65mm, Aya Nagar 44.1mm, Delhi University 24.5mm, Jafarpur 42mm Pitampura 33mm and Pusa road 28mm.
Kuldeep Srivastava, scientist at IMD said the intensity of rain is expected to reduce from Monday with the monsoon trough moving towards the Himalayan foothills. “There are chances of similar spells of rain at foothills of the mountains,” he added.
Mahesh Palawat, vice president Skymet, too said Delhi will see moderate rainfall on Monday and the intensity will gradually reduce afterward. “The monsoon trough will shift towards north. This weather was observed due to trough along with cyclonic circulation in Punjab and western disturbances. With shifting of the trough, the weather will ease up,” he added.
