Rains bring Delhi to a halt, auto driver dies after falling into ditch

New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) Rains lashed Delhi on Friday, leading to waterlogging in several areas, traffic snarls and the death of an autorickshaw driver who fell into a ditch.

Rainwater also entered the Delhi Secretariat premises. A video shared by a Twitter user on the microblogging site showed some people wading through ankle-high water at the Delhi Secretariat with their shoes in their hands.

Delhi Traffic Police took to Twitter to inform people about the waterlogged routes and urged them to plan their journeys accordingly.

According to the Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, the national capital received 26.9 mm rainfall between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm on Friday.

A 51-year-old autorickshaw driver, Ajit Sharma of Nand Nagri here, died after he fell into a ditch on a waterlogged road in northeast Delhi's Harsh Vihar, police said.

A flyover is being constructed in Harsh Vihar and the Public Works Department (PWD) had dug the ditch to install a pillar, they said.

A PWD official said it is being ascertained how the autorickshaw driver fell into the ditch.

According to the traffic police, traffic was affected on Phirni Road, Najafgarh due to waterlogging and the breakdown of a bus near Dhansa stand.

Traffic was also affected on the route from Rajouri Garden towards Punjabi Bagh due to the breakdown of a bus near the Bharat Darshan Park traffic signal and commuters were advised to avoid this route. The bus was later removed.

Massive traffic jams were also reported in Dhaula Kuan and Chanakyapuri after heavy rains.

Incidents of uprooting of trees were also reported from several parts of the city, including Anand Niketan, Hauz Khas and Okhla.

According to PWD data, its control room received 50 complaints of waterlogging.

The places that witnessed major waterlogging include Barapullah flyover, Panchkuian Marg, under Munirka flyover, East Vinod Nagar, Dhansa road in Najafgarh, Mandoli road and IP Marg, the data stated.

Waterlogging also affected traffic in South Extension, Sarai Kale Khan, Lajpat Nagar, ITO, parts of central and outer Delhi, on Mehrauli-Badarpur road and the stretch between Geeta Colony and Akshardham temple.

A commuter stuck in a jam in Tughlaqabad shared on Twitter a video of a long queue of cars. PTI AMP SLB DIV DIV