Heavy Rainfall In Delhi-NCR Causes Severe Disruption To Traffic And Flight Operations

Relentless rainfall has brought Delhi-NCR to a halt, causing extensive waterlogging in the capital and nearby areas like Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad. The downpour continued to affect key locations such as Safdarjung, Kashmere Gate, Connaught Place, and India Gate. Flight operations at Delhi airport were disrupted with 273 departures and 73 arrivals delayed by 5 pm, according to Flightradar24.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued warnings for heavy rainfall across Delhi-NCR. A red alert was announced for central, east, northeast, Shahdara, south, and southeast Delhi. This indicated intense rain expected until 4:30 pm but later changed to a yellow alert until 7:30 pm. An orange alert was also issued for New Delhi and surrounding NCR areas like Noida and Gurugram till 6:30 pm.

Impact on Traffic and Infrastructure

Floodwaters have inundated relief camps in the Yamuna Bazaar area. Authorities began evacuations as a result. A critical stretch near IGI Airport is flooded, leading to severe traffic jams. Several major roads in Gurugram are submerged, disrupting daily life significantly.

The rising water level of the River Yamuna has severely affected traffic along the Outer Ring Road from Majnu Ka Tila to Salimgarh Bypass. "In view of the rising water level of the Yamuna River, traffic movement is heavily affected on Outer Ring Road from Majnu Ka Tila till Salimgarh By-Pass," stated the Delhi Police in a post on X.

Yamuna's Rising Water Levels

The River Yamuna's water level reached 207.33 meters by 6 pm on Wednesday. This surpassed the 2013 mark of 207.32 meters, making it the third-highest recorded in Delhi's history. The highest was in 2023 at 208.66 meters followed by 207.49 meters in 1978.

More than 7,500 residents have been evacuated from low-lying areas due to rising waters. These individuals have been relocated to 25 relief camps set up across the city for shelter and support.

Flight Operations Disrupted

Flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport faced significant delays due to adverse weather conditions. As many as 273 departures and 73 arrivals were delayed till 5 pm as per Flightradar24 data.

An advisory was issued by Delhi airport considering heavy rain forecasts by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). "As per the Indian Meteorological Department's forecast, Delhi is experiencing inclement weather conditions," stated an advisory post on X.

Heavy Rainfall Across North India

Himachal Pradesh experienced fresh devastation due to heavy rain with seven deaths reported from a landslide in Mandi district including five from one family. In Kullu district two people are feared dead after a house collapse including an NDRF jawan.

Punjab and Haryana are facing severe floods due to overflowing rivers combined with ongoing rainfalls affecting over three lakh people in Punjab alone where thirty deaths have been reported so far while Haryana faces similar issues especially near Yamuna river banks.

Landslides hit Jammu & Kashmir affecting Vaishno Devi pilgrimage route suspending yatra for nine days now though no casualties reported yet access roads remain blocked along with train routes between Jammu-Katra & Delhi-Katra suspended too leaving thousands stranded who were evacuated via special trains last week when Jammu recorded its heaviest rainfall since year nineteen ten.