Rain came calling

Pic By: Gayatri Pradhan

Wednesday evening’s unexpected downpour wreaked havoc on Delhi roads as waterlogging, coupled with the evening rush hour traffic, led to nightmarish jams on almost all major arteries in the city. The average speed of traffic came down to less than 5 kmph on several stretches and stories of delays kept pouring in till night. The impact of the jams was felt at the airport too as many passengers ended up missing their flights. In some areas like Khan Market, rain water entered shops. The Met recorded 58.8mm of rainfall till 9.30 pm, making Wednesday the wettest September day since 2005. For thousands of Delhiites returning from work, the rain couldn’t have come at a worse time. The heavy rain caused acute waterlogging across the city and for once, even NDMC roads were not spared jams — a first for this season. Many VIPs, including Sonia Gandhi, were also caught in the jam. In fact, some people claimed they saw her step out of her car and walk on the pavement, surrounded by her tense security guards.