Sudden torrential rain has thrown India’s capital, Delhi, into disarray. So much rainwater has accumulated in front of the gates of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport that passengers have been forced to roll up their trousers and push their trolleys through standing water just to get inside.
Flight operations have also been thrown into severe difficulty by the downpour. With water pooling on the runway and visibility reduced all around, 11 flights bound for Delhi were diverted to other cities. Of these, five landed in Jaipur, four in Lucknow, and the remaining two in Ahmedabad and Chandigarh.
One passenger stranded at the airport said in frustration, “I’ve never seen this much water collect at any airport in my life! I’ve been standing here for half an hour — I’ll head for the gate once the water recedes a bit.”
It is not just the airport — several low-lying roads and areas under flyovers across Delhi have also flooded, bringing traffic to a complete standstill. The weather office has issued an emergency advisory to residents, urging them to check road conditions before stepping out for any errand and to stay away from electricity poles during storms. The weather office said light to heavy rain and gusty winds are likely to continue across the city throughout the day.