Delhi officers' Sunday off cancelled, asked to inspect areas hit by record rain in the city 

As heavy rain hammered the national capital, triggering waterlogging in major parts, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal cancelled all government officers' Sunday off and instructed them to be on the ground to inspect problem areas. The ministers and mayors, too, have been asked to inspect their respective areas as heavy rain has caused massive waterlogging in many parts, causing traffic jams. Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) minister Atishi will also visit waterlogged areas today. She was expected to visit the Tilak Bridge area at 12 noon.

In a tweet, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Delhi on Saturday received 126mm of rainfall. "15% of the total monsoon season's rainfall occurred within just 12 hours. People faced a lot of trouble due to waterlogging. Today, all the ministers and the mayor of Delhi will inspect the problem areas. Instructions have been given to the officials of all departments to cancel their Sunday holiday and be present on the ground."

The national capital on Saturday witnessed the season's first very heavy rain and the highest in a day in 20 years causing waterlogging, damaging vehicles, and leading to traffic congestion in several parts. The Safdarjung Observatory, the city's primary weather station, recorded 126.1 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, the highest since the 24-hour rainfall of 133.4 mm on July 10, 2003, a senior IMD official said.

The city logged an all-time high of 266.2 mm on July 21, 1958. Saturday's rainfall was the season's first heavy spell. The Met office predicted a generally cloudy sky with moderate to heavy rain for Sunday. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle around 30 and 24 degrees Celsius, respectively.

"Light to moderate intensity rain would continue over many places of Delhi and NCR, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Assandh, Safidon, Panipat, Gohana, Gannaur, Meham, Sonipat, Rohtak, Kharkhoda, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Mattanhail, Jhajjar, Kosali, Sohana, Rewari (Haryana)," the Met office said in a tweet.

Several cars were damaged in Delhi's Kalkaji area after a portion of a wall of Deshbandhu College collapsed amid heavy rains. The rain coupled with strong wind uprooted several trees, one of them falling on a car in Delhi's East of Kailash area. The rain inconvenienced many commuters who faced hardship in reaching their destinations. Pedestrians and shopkeepers faced trouble due to waterlogging at Connaught Place -- one of the most important business and commercial centres of Delhi.

The PWD said it received 15 complaints of waterlogging since morning. Apart from these, the department also received complaints about waterlogging on other stretches that are under the MCD or other agencies. "The road around Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College in Delhi University's north campus witnessed waterlogging, causing inconvenience to commuters," said a PWD official.

(With inputs from PTI)