New Delhi, July 9: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has taken decisive action in response to the heavy rainfall and subsequent waterlogging problems faced by the city. In a bid to address the situation promptly, Kejriwal has canceled the weekly off for all government officials and called on them to inspect their respective rain-hit areas.
The rainfall in Delhi reached a staggering 126 mm, with 15 percent of the total monsoon rainfall occurring within a span of just 12 hours. The resultant waterlogging caused significant problems for the residents. In response, Kejriwal tweeted that all ministers and the mayor of Delhi would personally inspect the problem areas. Moreover, officials from various departments have been instructed to cancel their Sunday holiday and be present on the ground for inspection.
Over the past two days, the National Capital Region (NCR) has been experiencing heavy rainfall, leading to widespread waterlogging issues and other consequential problems. On Saturday alone, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Delhi recorded 126.1 mm of rainfall, marking the highest amount since the 133.4 mm of rainfall on July 10, 2003. It is worth noting that the highest ever recorded rainfall in the city was 266.2 mm on July 21, 1958.
The initial downpour of monsoon rain wreaked havoc in both residential and commercial areas of Delhi. This prompted the issuance of an ‘orange’ alert by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for further showers on Saturday, while a ‘yellow’ alert was issued for Sunday.
The heavy rainfall has also resulted in the collapse of several houses in the capital. On Saturday, 15 houses collapsed, and an additional house collapsed on Sunday morning.
By canceling officials’ weekly off and mobilizing government representatives to inspect the affected areas, Chief Minister Kejriwal aims to ensure swift action in addressing the waterlogging problems and providing necessary support to the affected residents.
