Delhi rains: IMD predicts heavy showers on July 1 - 2, civic bodies on alert

Delhi rains: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains in the national capital for two days on July 1 and 2 (Monday and Tuesday), PTI reported.

The Met department said heavy rainfall is “very likely” at isolated places in Delhi and adjoining states till July 4.

Civic Bodies on High Alert, Field Units Readied

Civic agencies are bracing for the heavy rains and have kept their field units on high alert, besides deploying additional manpower and machinery to address water logging and other complaints, PTI reported.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has put its field units on “high alert.” A senior official told PTI that a central control room is functioning round the clock. The official added that de-silting of drains has been completed.

“Mobile pumps, super sucker machines, earth movers and other machines have been deployed at various locations where waterlogging was reported through dedicated 24x7 zonal control rooms of the MCD,” the official said.

“In total, 72 permanent pumping stations are working as per requirement. Additionally, 465 mobile/submersible pumps of different capacities were made available to clear waterlogging. Manpower was adequately deployed also in tandem with machines for quick and sustained release of water,” he added.

An official in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) said the civic body has deployed additional manpower to handle water logging complaints and is monitoring areas in Lutyens' Delhi through CCTV cameras.

NDMC Vice-Chairman Satish Upadhyay told PTI that four additional pumps have been arranged on a standby basis at Golf Links and Bharti Nagar.

“Three super suction machines mounted on vehicles will keep patrolling the vulnerable areas. We have also deployed additional staff and cancelled the offs of all employees. Each vulnerable area has been placed under one superintending engineer who has staffers with them to address issues. The NDMC central command and control room will monitor all vulnerable areas through CCTV cameras,” Upadhyay told PTI.

According to the NDMC, superintending engineers are now overseeing operations at vulnerable points to ensure timely interventions.

"We will ensure 24-hour monitoring through CCTV cameras. CCTV cameras are in place for continuous monitoring of vulnerable areas," another official said.

Further, Public Works Department (PWD) officials told the agency that all the waterlogged spots, except the Pragati Maidan Tunnel, have been drained.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government announced ₹10 lakh each, compensation for families of those who drowned on June 28. This was announced in an official communication to the revenue department on June 30.

Delhi Temperature, AQI Index

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 37.1 degrees Celsius on June 30, after 228.1 mm of rains lashed the city and claimed multiple lives. It was the highest for the month of June since 1936. As per the IMD, 9 mm of rain was recorded on June 30.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital was recorded as “moderate” at 6 pm on June 30, with a reading of 118, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.

(With inputs from PTI)