Connaught Place roads waterlogged after overnight rain; PWD work incomplete

Feroz Shah Road, Baba Kharak Singh Marg and parts of Connaught Place’s Outer Circle remained waterlogged for hours after overnight rain, disrupting traffic near Shivaji Stadium Metro station.

IMD data recorded 56.6mm of rain at Lodhi Road, 64.5mm at Safdarjung and 39.2mm at Pragati Maidan between 5.30pm Monday and 8.30am Tuesday. An NDMC official said all outfalls in the Barapullah basin were running full during the spell, slowing stormwater discharge. The council’s drainage network is designed to handle around 15mm of rainfall smoothly, officials said.

NDMC had earlier linked repeated flooding around Outer Circle to incomplete desilting of a 2km PWD drain network covering Outer Circle, Minto Road and DDU Marg. PWD said about 80% of the work has been completed and expects to finish the remainder within 15 days.

New Delhi Traders Association president Atul Bhargava questioned why Connaught Place continued to face infrastructure failures. NDMC said it has deployed two additional 50-HP dewatering pumps at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, while its teams inspect drains and downstream connections.