The basement of a coaching centre situated in Old Rajinder Nagar- Rau's IAS Study Circle is flooded once again. Three students, identified as Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni, and Nivin Dalvin, died after water from a flooded drain gushed into the library in the basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle on Saturday (July 27).
PWD issues SOP for de-silting of Delhi's drains
The PWD of Delhi on Wednesday issued an SOP for proper de-silting of drains, operation of pumps, road repair work and precautionary measures to avoid electrocution, following the death of three UPSC aspirants in Old Rajinder Nagar due to flooding.
The silt removed from the drains should be immediately disposed off in the authorised dumping grounds within a maximum of two hours after de-silting as during rains, there is limited time for the silt to dry, an official memorandum of the public works department said.
Delhi has seen high-intensity rains this monsoon, leading to waterlogging in a short period of time. On Wednesday, too, Delhi recorded more than a hundred millimetres of rainfall in one hour, leading to waterlogging in several areas, prompting the weather office to issue a 'red' warning.
Various unfortunate incidents of deaths due to electrocution, flooding of basements, falling into drains and accidents due to potholes on roads have been reported recently, the memo said. In view of these incidents, all drains have to be de-silted completely, it said.
Heavy rainfall alert
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in most parts of the capital for the next two hours. Delhi recorded more than a hundred millimetres of rainfall in one hour, leading to waterlogging in several areas of the national capital and prompting the weather office to issue a 'red' warning.
The National Flash Flood Guidance Bulletin also included Delhi in its list of 'areas of concern', the weather office said. According to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Automatic Weather Station (AWS) network, the Pragati Maidan observatory in central Delhi recorded 112.5 mm of rainfall in one hour.
An extreme amount of precipitation in a short period, specifically 100 mm of rainfall within an hour, is defined by the IMD as a cloud burst. There has, however, been no official statement on the situation from weather officials.
Delhi LG cautions officers to remain alert
Delhi Lt Governor, in a post on X, said he cautioned officers to remain alert in light of the heavy downpour. "Apart from ensuring minimum inconvenience to people in general, they are advised to specifically address issues at sites prone to waterlogging, including coaching centres," he said in the post.
Widespread light to moderate rainfall is likely over Delhi during the next two hours, the IMD said in a nowcast. Furthermore, thunderstorms with lightning and surface winds reaching speeds of 50 kilometres an hour are also likely at isolated places during this period, it added.
The IMD has advised people to remain indoors, secure windows and doors and refrain from unnecessary travel. It has also issued a 'red' warning, which calls for action and vigilance.
"Seeking safe shelter and avoiding tree cover are recommended to mitigate risks. Stay tuned for further updates as the situation develops," it said in the advisory.
Multiple areas, including Lutyen's Delhi, Kashmere Gate and Rajinder Nagar, among others, were inundated following the heavy rain. Visuals from south Delhi's Qutub Minar area showed vehicles wading through waterlogged roads while traffic police personnel tried to manage vehicular movement.
The traffic police have issued alerts about the routes affected and urged people to plan their journeys accordingly. The national capital on Wednesday recorded a maximum temperature of 37.8 degrees Celsius.
On Tuesday, Delhi recorded its highest maximum temperature for the month this year, with the mercury settling at 39.3 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal. According to the IMD, the humidity level stood at 63 per cent at 5:30 pm. The city recorded a minimum temperature of 30.4 degrees Celsius, 3.3 notches above normal.
The IMD has predicted a wet spell till August 5.
(With inputs from Anamika Gaur and Ila Kazmi)
