New Delhi: Heavy rainfall lashed the national capital on Saturday, flooding almost all arterial roads in the city and throwing traffic out of gear. Throughout the city, streets were flooded as drains overflowed and rain beat down with intensity.
Heavy showers continued for the second day in Mumbai. Vehicular movement across the city has been slow due to waterlogging. Local trains are also running late. The weather department has predicted more rainfall over the weekend.
Andhra Pradesh also continued to witness heavy rains with the state receiving 30 per cent more rainfall than normal. Chief Minister Kiran Reddy reviewed the situation and has put all district administration on alert. With the third warning already been issued for the Godavari river, relief camps have been set up for people in low-lying areas around the river. More than 1,500 houses have been damaged.
Several districts in the Telangana region continue to receive heavy rainfall too. The state govt has requested the Air Force to put IAF choppers on standby for rescue and relief. The MET department has predicted that heavy rainfall will continue for another 24 hours.
Incessant rains also lashed the coastal and hill districts of Karnataka. Bangalore experienced heavy showers on Saturday. The Met daprtment has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall for the next two-three days.
In Delhi, the maximum temperature was recorded at 32 degrees and minimum at 27. The Met department has forecast more rains for the next couple of days.
Heavy traffic snarls were reported in almost all areas of the city due to waterlogging as well as non-functional traffic signals. Bumper-to-bumper traffic was witnessed at major intersections such as ITO, Laxmi Nagar, Moti Bagh, Kashmere Gate, Munirka, Dwarka and Dhaula Kuan.
Commuters had a hard time navigating the roads in most parts of the city as visibility also dropped a bit.
Pedestrians were seen wading through streets flooded by overflowing drains.
"It took me 40 minutes to reach the Akshardham metro station from my home, a distance which I cover within five minutes every day. Traffic was moving very slow," said Ridhi Chouhan, who works at a private bank in Noida.
People were stuck at metro stations and bus stops waiting for the showers to subside while autorickshaw and taxi drivers had a field day charging hefty sums from those in a hurry to reach office.
"I had to shell out Rs 180 (for an auto) from my home in Munirka to my office at Connaught Place today. On normal days, the fare is not more than Rs 100," said Ashok Ojha, who works at a telecom company.
(With additional information from PTI)
####[View the story ”Your photos of our waterlogged cities” on Storify]
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