New Delhi: Friday’s heavy rain led to widespread waterlogging across the city, severely disrupting traffic on major roads and leaving commuters stranded for hours.Major waterlogging was reported at Okhla, Chhatarpur Farm, Mahipalpur T-point, Sainik Farms, Vasant Vihar, Vasant Kunj, Malviya Nagar, Greater Kailash II and Sangam Vihar in south Delhi. Mehram Nagar near IGI Terminal 1 also witnessed waterlogging.Ring Road (near Shanti Van and Chandgi Ram Akhara), central Khichripur and parts of Mayur Vihar, including alongside the flyovers on Noida Link Road, Gandhi Nagar and Krishna Nagar in east Delhi also faced severe waterlogging.Traffic was badly hit due to waterlogging and commuters were stuck for hours in many areas, including Dhaula Kuan, Mathura Road, Nehru Place, DND Flyway, Kalindi Kunj, Delhi-Meerut Expressway near IP Extension, NH-48, Minto Road, Teen Murti, various parts of Ring Road, Pragati Maidan, Lodhi Road, ITO and Mandi House Road.The impact was particularly severe on MB Road in southeast Delhi, where nearly two feet of accumulated water forced vehicles to crawl. Okhla underpass towards Ashram got inundated, with constant seepage reported from the roof. Delhi Development Authority, which maintains the stretch, didn’t comment on the issue.Public Works Department (PWD) received waterlogging complaints from 22 locations till 6pm, including RK Ashram Marg metro station, Mandoli Extension, Preet Vihar metro station, Burari Main 100ft Road, Shivaji Marg, Moti Nagar, Naresh Park in Kamruddin Nagar, Samaypur Badli, Lal Kuan and Tughlaqabad.PWD claimed that preventive measures helped minimise disruption at several vulnerable locations. In a post on X, it said prior preparations, improved drainage and round-the-clock monitoring ensured smooth traffic movement at Jakhira underpass despite continuous rain.During a review meeting with Delhi Police Friday, lieutenant governor TS Sandhu was informed that proactive measures by agencies such as PWD, MCD, and irrigation and flood control department had reduced waterlogging locations to 65 during the current monsoon (up to Aug 5), against 194 in 2024 and 169 in 2025.Officials also claimed repeatedly affected locations had come down from 53 in 2024 and 2025 to 20 this year. As a result, traffic congestion complaints have reduced, with helpline calls dropping to 572 in July 2026 from 701 in July 2025, while social media traffic complaints fell from 1,792 to 1,653.Municipal Corporation of Delhi reported three waterlogging complaints — at Gadaipur DLF Farms and two locations in Karol Bagh — till 6pm, and four incidents of fallen trees/branches at East of Kailash, Sarita Vihar, Malkaganj and Madipur. Residents reported instances of fallen trees/branches from areas such as Malviya Nagar.NDMC received 34 complaints of waterlogging, tree felling and no electric supply. Of the 15 waterlogging complaints, areas badly affected included Sunheri Bagh Road, RK Puram metro station, Lodhi Road, Minto Bridge, Yashwant Place, Safdarjung flyover, Rajiv Chowk metro station and RML Hospital. Five tree damage/felling reports were also received.However, residents across the city said the actual situation was far worse and blamed civic agencies for not implementing long-term drainage solutions. “Internal and connecting roads in Greater Kailash II turned into rivers. Heavy rain overwhelmed the sewer system and manhole covers were forced out by pressure. Covering the short distance from the metro station to M Block market took over an hour,” said Sanjay Rana of GK-II Welfare Association.Commuter Satish Nangia reported a similar situation at Shanti Van, where even heavy-duty pumps failed to prevent flooding as sewer lines overflowed and manhole covers were dislodged.Waterlogging was also reported outside Safdarjung Hospital, with rainwater entering the premises. Water also entered Delhi Police’s narcotics office in south Delhi, showed videos on X.Sadar Bazar, a chronic waterlogging hotspot, got flooded again. “Rainwater entered shops and this has become a recurring problem every monsoon,” said Paramjit Singh Pamma of Federation of Sadar Bazar Traders’ Association.BS Vohra, a resident of Krishna Nagar, said the city’s decades-old drainage system had become ineffective.Sangam Vihar’s internal roads are also among the repeatedly affected areas, with videos on social media showing children swimming in floodwater while commuters struggled to push rickshaws and two-wheelers through knee-deep water.Siddhartha Neogi, a Faridabad resident who frequently uses the newly relaid road near Tughlaqabad Fort, said, “The road was reopened after pipeline work, but it remains uneven.”Cab fares shot up two-three times the usual rates, complained some commuters travelling from central Delhi to Ghaziabad’s Crossing Republic and Gurgaon’s Sector 56.
