• Source:JND
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At least 11 people, including four children, died in Delhi since the onset of the monsoon in the national capital. The monsoon arrived in Delhi on Friday morning, with the city recording 228.1 mm of rainfall, the highest for June since 1936. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Delhi, forecasting moderate to heavy rain across Delhi NCR till July 4. Meanwhile, downpours are expected to continue till July 6, likely worsening the current waterlogging and flood-like situation in Delhi.

Despite authorities claiming to prevent waterlogging in the city, six rain-related deaths were reported on Saturday. Two boys drowned in a waterlogged underpass in northwest Delhi's Badli area on Saturday, following heavy rains the previous day. A 60-year-old man, Digvijay Kumar Chaudhary, died after getting stuck with his scooter in another waterlogged underpass in Okhla. Additionally, the bodies of three labourers were recovered from the rubble of a collapsed wall at a construction site in Vasant Vihar, which caved in due to the heavy rain on Friday.

Rainfall continued in parts of Delhi on Saturday morning, with areas like Rohini and Burari receiving rain. The city recorded a minimum temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. Weather experts noted that Delhi typically receives around 650 mm of rainfall during the monsoon season. The city experienced one-third of this total rainfall on Friday in just one day.

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Friday's heavy rains caused significant waterlogging, including in the Pragati Maidan tunnel, which remained closed on Saturday as drainage continued. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has increased manpower to address waterlogging complaints and is monitoring Lutyens' Delhi via CCTV. 

NDMC Vice-Chairman Satish Upadhyay said that additional pumps and staff have been deployed to manage the excessive waterlogging observed in areas like Golf Links and Bharti Nagar. "Each vulnerable area has been placed under one superintending engineer who has staff with them to address issues. The NDMC central command and control room will monitor all vulnerable areas through CCTV cameras," Satish Upadhyay said as quoted by news agency PTI.

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Public Works Department (PWD) officials noted that waterlogging had been addressed in most spots except the Pragati Maidan tunnel. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has deployed mobile pumps, super sucker machines and other equipment to manage waterlogged areas, with 72 permanent pumping stations and 465 mobile pumps operational.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena inspected heavily affected areas and drainage systems on Saturday. Accompanied by senior officials, Saxena visited several locations including Taimur Nagar, Barapulla Drain, ITPO, Tilak Bridge, Kushak Nallah, Golf Links and Bharti Nagar. He found the drains choked with garbage and debris, contributing to severe flooding.

(With Agency Inputs)