Rains hit Delhi hard, roads flooded

NEW DELHI - Roads were flooded, traffic went out of gear and normal life was hit in the national capital as heavy rains continued to pour since early Sunday morning. The weatherman predicted the rains would continue throughout the day.

The traffic police reported traffic jams at Monkey Bridge, Mori Gate, Daula Kuan, Model Town, Azadpur, Najafgarh, Bajanpura, parts of Ring Road and the near the Kashmere Gate Metro station.

At many traffic junctions, harried policemen drenched in rain were seen helping motorists struggling to wade through the water.

Due to the heavy downpour, the Nigambodh Ghat near Kashmere Gate - one of the biggest crematorium grounds in Delhi - was also flooded and cremations were stopped for the day.

“We have stopped cremating the bodies since Sunday morning as the whole area is flooded with with three feet-deep water,” Naresh Ahuja, supervisor of Nigambodh Ghat cremetourim, told IANS.

He also said that on an average about 40 bodies are brought for cremation every day but only 5 bodies were brought Sunday due to water-logging.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the rains are likely to continue throughout the day. The city received 17.3 mm of rainfall from Saturday morning till 8.30 a.m. Sunday.

Delhi has recorded a total rainfall of 840.8 mm this season, 44 percent above average.