'Treat waterlogging as a disaster', Delhi LG tells officials after city’s wettest August day

Delhi Lt Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Wednesday directed senior officials to treat waterlogging in the national capital as a “disaster” requiring a war-footing response, a day after heavy rainfall inundated several roads and triggered widespread traffic disruption. Sandhu, who reviewed the situation with senior officers late Tuesday evening, called for a “whole-of-government” approach, with departments and agencies working in coordination instead of independently. Several weather stations across Delhi recorded more than 100 mm of rainfall on Tuesday, making it the capital's wettest August day in two years. The downpour left several arterial roads waterlogged and caused traffic snarls across the city.

Officials told to hit streets

“Directed that the situation be treated as a disaster requiring a war-footing response, with a ‘whole of government’ approach and every department and agency working in complete synergy rather than in silos,” Sandhu said in a post on X.

The LG directed heads of departments to be physically present on the streets during waterlogging incidents and personally supervise remedial measures instead of monitoring developments from their offices.

According to officials, Sandhu stressed that the administration's primary objective should be to prevent waterlogging rather than merely respond after roads are inundated.

He directed agencies to accelerate the installation of pumps at vulnerable locations across the city and ensure that adequate arrangements are in place to deal with intense spells of rainfall.

Officials were also asked to respond in real time to complaints received through the media, social media and other platforms. Sandhu called for continuous monitoring of the situation to ensure that instructions translate into visible improvements on the ground.

“Our priority and focus must remain clear: swift relief to citizens and a safer, better-managed Delhi,” he said.

Traffic hit across capital

Tuesday's rainfall led to waterlogging at several prominent locations and disrupted traffic on key stretches, including ITO towards Mandi House, Vikas Marg, Laxmi Nagar, Karol Bagh and the Akshardham flyover.

The disruption prompted the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Wednesday to apologise to residents for waterlogging in areas under its jurisdiction and promise improvements to its drainage response.

NDMC chairman Manoj Kumar Dwivedi said the civic body was generally able to clear accumulated rainwater within 15 to 20 minutes. However, at three to four locations on Tuesday, drainage took more than an hour.

The civic body said it would strengthen its systems to improve its response to similar episodes in the future as Delhi's administration seeks to address recurring waterlogging during periods of intense rainfall.