Heavy rains in Noida throws traffic out of gear

Gautam Budh Nagar received 120 millimetres of rain on Monday, the highest in the state on Monday, meteorological department reports show

Gautam Budh Nagar received 120 millimetres of rain on Monday, the highest in the state on Monday, meteorological department reports show.

The other areas in Uttar Pradesh that received high rainfall include Gunnaur (Badaun) and Moradabad with 70mm rainfall each.

Thanks to the continuous rain through the day, traffic crawled in Noida, especially on roads connecting Noida and Delhi. However, the fall in temperature ensured that the weather remained pleasant with little to no pollution. Surprisingly, expect in a few patches, the city was relatively water-logging free.

Rainfall in Noida was 1,775% more than the normal amount around this time. In Ghaziabad, which got 16.8mm of rain, it was 570% higher than the normal. While the heavy rain will continue till Tuesday, moderate to light rainfall is likely for two more days after that.

The maximum temperature was 28 degrees Celsius, six degrees lower than the normal, and the minimum was 24 degrees Celsius.

“The low pressure belt is now over northeast Rajasthan and adjoining areas of south Haryana and southwest Uttar Pradesh. Generally cloudy sky with intermittent rain accompanied with one or two intense spells of rain in some areas is likely during the next 24 hours. The rain will decrease significantly from September 25 onwards,” a meteorological department report said.

Heavy traffic was seen on all major roads in Noida and Ghaziabad on Monday morning. All connecting roads between Noida and Delhi saw heavy congestion. Roads around sectors 19, 18, 27, 35, 62, 63, as well as Dadri, Bhangel, Haldoni, Gijhod and Kulesara saw heavy traffic as well.

The important arterial roads and highways connecting Noida and Ghaziabad also saw water-logging and heavy traffic during the morning as well as evening rush hour. Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) Flyway, Noida-Greater Noida Expressway as well as NH-24 saw slow-moving traffic. The situation was worse around various underpasses, where two-wheelers halted to take cover from the rain.

“I cross Bhangel daily but the intersection was a mess today. It took me over half an hour to cross that stretch,” Drishti Rai, a resident of Sector 82, said.

“Near all entry points of Delhi, three or four lanes merge into two lanes, slowing down traffic. We try to regulate traffic but more steps are needed to improve the condition of roads,” Anil Kumar Singh, superintendent of police (traffic), said.