Heavy rains once again left Delhiites waking up to a city in ruins, as an incessant spells of rain caused a canopy to collapse at Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport, killing one. Large parts of the city got inundated, resulting in water entering homes, submerging vehicles, and traffic crawling.
As the downpour this early morning paralyzed the capital, flight operations at Terminal 1 were suspended indefinitely, leaving thousands of commuters stranded on their way to work, school or important appointments. Key tunnels, including at Pragati Maidan, were shut down and reports of flooding poured in from several parts of the city despite this being an upscale area like Hauz Khas, South Extension, Mayur Vihar.
The India Meteorological Department said that in the last 20 to 30 hours, the city recorded 228.1 mm at Safdarjung, 192.8 mm at Lodhi Road, Mausam Bhavan, 150.4 mm at Ridge, 106.6 mm at Palam, and 66.3 mm at Ayanagar. According to IMD, very heavy rain is between 124.5 and 244.4 mm in a day. Monsoon officially hits Delhi. The rain started at around 3 am.
The other collapse, at Terminal 1, occurred about 5 am; it was a falling canopy that trapped several people and killed one whose identity is yet to be confirmed. Many cars parked in the pick-up and drop-off area got damaged in the incident. A search operation ensured no one was trapped in the damaged vehicles; the injured were taken to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation declared on X, ".flights to & from Terminal 1 are closed till further notice. Alternate arrangements are being made for smooth operation of the flights." Minister for Civil Aviation K. Rammohan Naidu said that he was personally monitoring the situation and rescue operations were on at the site.
The two domestic carriers – IndiGo and SpiceJet – that operate from T1 bore the maximum brunt. "Due to structural damage in the terminal, flights had to be cancelled as passengers cannot enter the terminal," an IndiGo spokesperson said. "The passengers who are already in the terminal can board their flights. The rest are being offered alternatives." "Due to partial closure of T1, all our flights stand cancelled today, boarding crosses SpiceJet announced on X.
In another mishap, a half-constructed wall collapsed in Vasant Vihar area, leaving several labourers buried under it. A rescue team, with the initiation of NDRF, DDMA, and local fire and police departments, was pressed into service at the site.
An emergency meeting was called by the Delhi government to assess the condition of the situation. All cabinet ministers and senior officials attended this meeting. Many areas like Dwarka and Jangpura were faced with power outages, and key roads, such as Minto Road and Azad Market underpasses, were closed. People in several localities waded waist-deep in water.
A video surfaced of BJP Councillor Ravinder Singh Negi rowing a boat on a flooded street, blaming the Delhi government for not cleaning the PWD drains before the onset of monsoons, hence the resultant flooding. A target was also made of Delhi Minister Atishi, who was on an indefinite fast over Water Scarcity, alleging the government was overlooking the waterlogging situation.
The BJP posted images of water entering the residence of AAP leader Atishi on Mathura Road, and targeted the Arvind Kejriwal government over the city's waterlogging woes. Delhi Traffic Police Issued Advisories For Several Roads and asked for people to avoid certain stretches or take alternative routes because of waterlogged streets and traffic jams. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation also closed entry and exit gates at Yashobhoomi Sector 25 Dwarka and suspended the shuttle service from Delhi Aerocity Metro station to Terminal 1-IGI Airport.
Delhi Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had earlier commented that the Yamuna River would not overflow this year, as arrangements were in place to provide a clear channel for its flow.
Read also | Delhi Anticipates Monsoon's Arrival Within 2-3 Days, IMD Reports
