Delhi’s Ring Road gridlocked due to waterlogging | Latest News Delhi

Severe waterlogging across north and northeast Delhi from late evening forced the police to shut key junctions of the Ring Road between the ITO to Civil Lines, leading to serpentine queues of vehicles. Motorists endured harsh conditions for three to four hours, as the Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, and key roads in north and central Delhi were gridlocked.

Commuters, especially pedestrians and those on two-wheelers, were the worst hit as there was waist-deep water near Civil Lines.

Nitin Narain, a resident of Civil Lines, said that he was stuck in traffic jam on Outer Ring Road for over three hours. “It took me over two hours to move from road behind Red Fort to Hanuman Mandir and another hour to reach my home in Civil Lines. There was mix of waterlogging due to downpour and Yamuna spilling partially on part of the road. At Civil lines, Bela road had five feet high water and people could not even close their doors. Waist deep water was present in lanes along Outer Ring Road towards Civil lines.”

MCD officials said that with Yamuna swelling, the drains have been clogged by I&FC with sandbags to prevent back flow of river via drains. Coupled with heavy downpour it has led to flooding in low lying areas of Civil Lines peripheral lanes along Outer Ring Road.

Rising water levels led to flooding of the Qudsia Ghat area, and localities near the Pipleshwar Temple. Police said severe waterlogging was reported from Kashmere Gate, near the Delhi Secretariat and outside Sushruta Trauma Centre. Two-thirds of the road near the Kashmere Gate ISBT, leading to the Monastery Market, was flooded.

A senior traffic Police officer told HT, “ We were not aware of the weather conditions and how the flood would get this bad. PWD should be asked about the reasons for the flooding on major arterial roads.”

From the morning, the Old Iron Bridge was shut from both sides and diversions were made towards Hanuman Setu. Evacuation was undertaken, but this compounded traffic flow, adding to the late evening gridlock.

The Indraprastha flyover’s carriageway towards the Kashmere Gate was sealed from outside the WHO building, near Gole Market. Police said the traffic was diverted on the service road from ITO to Laxmi Nagar and from under the flyover.

The police officer cited above said, “Diversions had to be made but this led to more problems. We are trying to clear traffic through Salimgarh bypass road and through Daryaganj side…”

On the Salimgarh bypass road, many motorists were seen reversing their vehicles and using the wrong side of the carriageway to reach alternative routes.

The traffic police also sealed the slip road from the Indraprastha Marg towards Rajghat. At the Rajghat intersection of the Ring Road, the carriageway towards Kashmere Gate was closed for traffic.

Roads leading from south to north Delhi on the Ring Road were badly choked from the Pragati Maidan.

At least 10 traffic personnel were deployed at the Rajghat intersection to regulate traffic flow and guide commuters on alternative routes to reach their destinations in the northern parts of the city, especially those travelling towards Kashmere Gate, Rohini and further to Haryana’s Sonepat via Alipur.

Rinku Kumar, a commuter, told HT, “I was travelling from Inderlok towards Karnal but I have been stuck in the traffic for three hours. The Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, flyovers…everything is either blocked or in jam. We don’t when we will reach home.”

The Traffic Police also shut the Noida Link Road’s carriageway from Akshardham flyover to Vikas Marg (ITO). A private bus and iron barricades were used to block the road and police personnel were deployed to divert the traffic. Motorists were asked to use the loop towards Geeta Colony to reach Vikas Marg and take a U-turn from Laxmi Nagar Metro Station to move towards ITO.