Rain lashes Delhi-NCR, Gurugram issues WFH advisory for Wednesday

New Delhi: Rain lashed several parts of Delhi-NCR on Wednesday morning, keeping commuters on alert a day after heavy showers flooded roads, disrupted flight movement, damaged vehicles and forced Gurugram Police to ask offices to allow work from home. The IMD has kept a yellow warning for Delhi-NCR, with light to moderate rain, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds expected through the day. Similar conditions were forecast for Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad. The fresh spell came after Tuesday’s rain exposed several public trouble points across the region. Roads were waterlogged, underpasses in Gurugram were flooded, vehicles were stranded and traffic police had to issue advisories for commuters. Airlines also asked passengers to check flight status before leaving for Delhi airport because rain and traffic congestion could delay movement. Delhi rain floods roads, courts and markets In Delhi, Tuesday’s rain caused waterlogging in several areas and slowed road movement in the afternoon and evening. Tis Hazari Courts saw water entering parts of the court complex and lawyers’ chambers. Sadar Bazaar’s Teliwara and Mahavir Bazaar also reported flooding after a short but intense spell of rain, affecting traders and visitors. Waterlogging was reported from parts of Lutyens’ Delhi, Geeta Colony, West Patel Nagar, Inderpuri and Nangloi Main Chowk. In some areas, civic teams had to carry out declogging operations after drains failed to clear rainwater quickly. Strong winds added to the damage. A large tree fell near the National Heart Institute in East of Kailash and damaged two parked cars. No casualty was reported in the incident. The New Delhi Municipal Council received complaints related to waterlogging, damaged trees and power outages. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi also received complaints about fallen trees or branches and dangerous buildings in some localities. For commuters, the main problem was not only rainfall but movement through flooded roads. Two-wheeler riders and pedestrians faced difficulty in stretches where waterlogging made roads hard to cross. Gurugram asks offices to allow WFH Gurugram Police advised corporate offices and private establishments to allow employees to work from home from July 8 after heavy rain caused waterlogging, flooded underpasses and traffic jams across the city. The city received around 82 mm of rain during Tuesday’s first heavy monsoon spell, according to reports. Several roads were submerged, underpasses were flooded and long traffic queues were reported across major parts of Gurugram. Some roads also saw cave-ins. The advisory was issued to reduce traffic congestion and allow emergency services to move more freely if rain continued. Police deployed additional personnel at key intersections, waterlogged roads and sensitive points. Cranes, recovery vehicles, water pumps and tankers were also deployed to help stranded motorists and move damaged vehicles to safer locations. Gurugram’s daytime temperature fell sharply after the rain. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 28 degrees Celsius, nearly 10 degrees below normal, while IMD issued a yellow alert for Haryana for July 8 and 9. Crater on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway slows traffic A 10-foot-wide crater opened on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway after the rain, triggering traffic snarls and diversions on one of NCR’s busiest corridors. The damaged stretch added to commuter delays at a time when Gurugram roads were already under pressure from waterlogging. The expressway carries daily office traffic, airport-bound movement, freight vehicles and inter-city traffic. Any damage on the stretch quickly affects traffic between Delhi and Gurugram. The immediate focus for traffic police and road agencies is to secure the affected stretch, manage diversions and prevent congestion from spilling over to adjoining routes. Forecast and public caution The IMD forecast light rain, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds for Delhi-NCR on Wednesday. Similar weather is likely on Thursday, while the warning level is expected to ease later in the week. Commuters have been advised to check traffic and flight updates before leaving home. In Gurugram, the work-from-home advisory is expected to reduce pressure on roads if rain continues. Civic and traffic agencies will remain focused on clearing waterlogged stretches, monitoring weak trees, repairing damaged road sections and keeping major roads and underpasses open.