Monsoon Mayhem: First Rainfall Exposes Delhi-NCR's Crumbling Drainage and Flood Preparedness

The first monsoon rain of the season exposed the serious flaws in Delhi-NCR’s drainage infrastructure. Within just two hours of rainfall, several parts of Delhi, including CM Rekha Gupta’s Shalimar Bagh constituency, were submerged. Streets turned into rivers, with water entering homes and residents struggling to drain it out manually. Knee-deep water clogged roads while cars and bikes were seen stranded in flooded underpasses. One biker was lucky to retreat in time, but another car got stuck, requiring locals to push it out.Similar scenes unfolded in Mahipalpur, where persistent rain from the previous evening left roads impassable. Gurugram, often touted as a modern urban model, fared worse. Roads appeared like overflowing seas, making it difficult even for pedestrians to walk. Viral footage shows a woman wading through floodwaters next to a tractor, highlighting the chaos.In Maharashtra, heavy rains affected Nashik and Nagpur, disrupting daily life and forcing residents from flooded homes to safer places. In Muzaffarnagar (U.P.), a short spell of rain submerged key roads, leaving vehicles stuck and people stranded. The situation was dire in Madhya Pradesh too, where floodwaters gushed into streets and homes. Across states, monsoon rains have revealed a troubling lack of preparedness and accountability.