New Delhi, July 29
Heavy rainfall battered parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Tuesday, bringing with it widespread waterlogging, traffic chaos, and yet another reminder of the city’s persistent drainage woes.
While the showers offered a much-needed break from the sultry heat, they also exposed glaring inefficiencies in civic preparedness by the Delhi government, leaving roads submerged and daily life disrupted.
One of the worst-hit areas was North Delhi’s Zakhira underpass, where nearly six feet of water collected, completely halting vehicular movement between Zakhira and Moti Nagar.
The underpass was shut to traffic as visuals from the site showed two-wheelers daring the waterlogged stretch while pedestrians and children waded through waist-deep water— some cautiously, others gleefully.
Despite repeated promises by civic authorities that the city’s drainage systems were monsoon-ready, just a few hours of rain laid bare the ground reality. With streets turned into streams and vehicles stranded, the chaos mirrored the national Capital’s recurring monsoon mismanagement.
Residents questioned the effectiveness of the Delhi government’s pre-monsoon clean-up claims, which now appear hollow in the face of flooded roads and crippled traffic.