A 22-year-old woman and her three-year-old son tragically drowned in a waterlogged drain near Khoda Colony in Delhi’s Ghazipur on Wednesday, following relentless rainfall. The incident occurred as Tanuja and her son Priyansh were returning from a weekly market. They slipped into an open drain that was under construction, which led to their drowning. Divers and cranes recovered their bodies several hours later, with the mother still holding her son’s hand. They were taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
The Wayanad cybercrime police have launched an investigation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Disaster Management Act. The fake social media campaign was allegedly aimed at undermining Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s appeal for disaster relief.
The deceased’s family and local residents have criticised the rescue efforts and the authorities for the poorly maintained drain. Tanuja’s husband, Govind Singh, and her uncle, Harish Rawat, expressed frustration over the slow and ineffective rescue operation, noting that the drain had been overflowing for months and complaints had gone unanswered. Local residents blame the civic authorities for negligence, as they claim the drain had been open for three months and consistently overflows during the monsoon season.
In separate incidents, five other fatalities have been reported across Delhi-NCR due to the heavy downpour. A 12-year-old boy was electrocuted in Bindapur, Delhi, after touching disconnected electric cables. Additional fatalities occurred in Subzi Mandi, Shastri Park, and Defence Colony due to building collapses. Near Gurugram’s IFFCO Chowk metro station, three people were electrocuted after electric wires fell into water caused by a fallen tree.
The torrential rains have severely impacted daily life, prompting Delhi’s Education Minister Atishi to announce the closure of all schools in the city for August 1. The heavy downpour led to significant infrastructure damage, including house collapses in north Delhi’s Sabji Mandi area and injuries from wall collapses in Vasant Kunj.
Air traffic was also affected, with at least ten flights diverted from Delhi airport due to adverse weather conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded unprecedented rainfall, with Safdarjung observatory recording 107.6 mm of rain, the highest since 2010. The IMD has advised residents to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.
The severe weather has caused widespread waterlogging, particularly in areas like Old Rajinder Nagar and Connaught Place. Traffic has been heavily disrupted, with major roads such as Moolchand to Chirag Delhi and Outer Ring Road experiencing significant congestion. The Delhi Traffic Police have issued advisories and alternative routes to manage the flow of traffic amidst the waterlogging.
In response to the crisis, Delhi Police have received thousands of calls related to traffic jams, waterlogging, building collapses, and uprooted trees. The situation remains challenging as the city struggles to cope with the aftermath of the intense rainfall.