NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the Majnu ka Tila area on Friday to inspect the waterlogged areas after the national Capital recorded heavy rain and thundershowers.
Stating that things won't work like this, CM Gupta directed officials and departments to take immediate action wherever waterlogging is reported.
"Visit the affected areas as soon as possible, " she told the officials. "Where are the PWD officials?" she asked.
Delhi CM, accompanied by senior government officials as well as MCD staff, visited the city’s Majnu ka Tila and took stock of the ground situation, post the sudden and intense downpour this morning.
Delhi CM instructed the officials for quick resolution of residents’ problems in all affected areas of the city and also directed them to restore normalcy by deploying adequate manpower and equipment.
Speaking to scribes, she assured the citizens that her office is personally monitoring the situation and said that clear instructions have been passed to identify all areas affected due to waterlogging and bringing normalcy in those areas is of high priority.
She held the previous AAP administration responsible for the mess, saying, “The disease which we have got from the previous governments will take time to be cured.”
She however said that addressing water woes of the city remains top priority of her government and therefore she herself stepped on to the streets.
“There is waterlogging in many areas. People are stuck in traffic jams. It is our responsibility to fix it. Officials and workers are on the ground to solve the situation, ” she told newsmen.
Meanwhile, Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Verma also visited the Minto Bridge to assess the situation.
In a post on X, he said, "Today, due to unseasonal record rainfall, water stagnated in some quantity at many places in Delhi. From 5:30 am onwards, I went to many places and took stock of the situation. On going to Minto Bridge, I saw that all the four pumps were working and the operator was also alert. A pipe had burst and I have been asked to supervise repairs. In view of the monsoon, the cleaning of drains is being done continuously by PWD, MCD, DJB, NDMC, IFC."
Despite the presence of pumping systems at Minto Bridge, a burst pipe contributed to partial flooding, prompting swift instructions for repair.
Earlier in the day, four people of a family were killed after a tree fell on a tubewell room due to heavy rain and thunderstorm in Jafarpur Kalan, Dwarka. The deceased were identified as Jyoti and her three children.
The family members, who got trapped under the debris, were pulled out and rushed to Rao Tula Ram (RTR) Memorial Hospital, where they were declared dead on arrival.
Jyoti's husband, Ajay, sustained minor injuries in the incident and has been discharged. Authorities are investigating the incident and have pledged support for the affected family. Heavy rain in the national Capital led to traffic snarls in many areas like Dwarka, Khanpur, South Extension Ring Road, Minto Road, Lajpat Nagar and Moti Bagh, inconveniencing commuters.
Waterlogging was reported on Mehrauli-Badarpur Road near Tughlaqabad, Neem Chowk Road in Sangam Vihar and ITO.
The Delhi government has urged citizens to stay indoors during extreme weather events and avoid taking shelter under trees or unstable structures.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Delhi.
Flight operations were affected as strong winds, thunder, lightning and heavy rain lashed Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).
Even though the change in weather brought much-needed respite from the scorching heat, flight operations were severely impacted.