New Delhi [India], May 2 : Delhi on Friday recorded 78mm of rainfall till 8:30 am, the second highest in 24 hours since 1901, just behind 119.3 mm on May 20, 2021, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD)
The highest rainfall was recorded at Lodhi Road -78 mm, just ahead of Safdarjung Airport, which recorded 77mm.
According to IMD, moisture and wind convergence over the area from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, assisted by a persistent highly favourable synoptic pattern at both lower and middle tropospheric levels, resulted in heavy rainfall.
The highest rainfall recorded since 1901 was 119.3mm on May 20, 2021, at SFD Airport. According to IMD, it was associated with the movement of the remnant of the "Tauktae" Cyclone, which crossed the Gujarat coast.
The heavy rainfall immediately caused a dip in the temperature by seven to ten degrees Celsius.
The sudden rain resulted in heavy waterlogging, leading to traffic congestion in parts of Delhi,
Places like Gurgaon, Delhi Airport and Minto Road were severely inundated, resulting in significant inconvenience for the public. This abrupt shift in weather conditions has left individuals facing considerable challenges.
The unseasonal rainfall, resulting in heavy waterlogging, allowed the opposition to slam the BJP-led Delhi government.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched a sharp critique of Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma, accusing the BJP-led administration of neglecting infrastructure, which led to severe waterlogging across the national capital.
In a scathing statement posted on X, along with Verma's video of him taking stock of the situation, AAP remarked that the minister did not do any work when he had time. Now, with such "little rain," many areas of Delhi were flooded, with water flowing out of the drains and onto the roads.
"Minister doing morning walk on the banks of water coming from the source of the BJP's disaster government!! There was a little rain in Delhi last night, and many areas of Delhi were flooded. Water started flowing out of the drains and onto the roads. When he had time, the minister did not do any work, now, when Delhi is drowning, he is out to take photographs," the AAP post stated.
The statement targeted Verma's inspections of waterlogged areas, alleging that the BJP failed to address drainage issues proactively.
Earlier today, Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma reviewed the city's waterlogging situation and highlighted ongoing efforts to address the issue.
In a post on X, Verma posted a video of himself assessing the area, noting that four pumps near the Minto Bridge are being operated to clear the stagnant water.
"Today, due to unseasonal record rainfall, water stagnated in some quantity at many places in Delhi. From 5:30 am onwards, I visited various locations and assessed the situation. Upon arriving at Minto Bridge, I observed that all four pumps were operational and the operator was alert. A pipe had burst, and I have requested that it be repaired. Because of the monsoon, drains are being cleaned continuously by PWD, MCD, DJB, NDMC, IFC," Verma stated in the post.