NDMC says water took over an hour to clear at some Delhi sites

At three to four locations in the NDMC area, rainwater took more than an hour to clear during Tuesday’s downpour, chairman Manoj Kumar Dwivedi said.

Dwivedi said NDMC usually clears waterlogging within 15 to 20 minutes. More than 72mm of rain fell in under two hours, he said, adding that the rainfall was not an excuse for the delay.

Water accumulated on Ashoka Road, Raisina Road, Parliament Street and Baba Kharak Singh Marg, and around Connaught Place, RML Hospital, the Supreme Court and AIIMS. The spell disrupted traffic on key stretches of the city.

Dwivedi said NDMC was preparing short- and long-term drainage measures and invited residents to share suggestions. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government was laying new sewer lines and approving projects for longer-term drainage and waterlogging solutions. PWD Minister Parvesh Verma said work was under way at 21 locations, alongside shorter-term interventions elsewhere.