Sudden waterlogging in Jasola Village late Saturday night sent waves of anxiety through the residents, as the entire locality lay submerged long after the rain had ceased. Residents, caught off guard by the unexpected deluge, described scenes of rising, foul-smelling water creeping into lanes and homes. “The rain had stopped, yet by 10 pm dirty water began gushing in, flooding the streets within minutes,” said Irfan, a Jasola Village resident.
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The sudden inundation not only brought life in Jasola Village to a standstill but also triggered panic, as residents feared a rapid overnight rise in water levels and the looming threat of waterborne diseases. Some ventured out into the murky streets, trying to trace the source of the flooding.
By morning, after a fresh bout of heavy rain lashed Delhi, vast stretches of Okhla were swallowed by water, transforming roads into rivers and lanes into stagnant ponds. The floodwaters only began to recede after several hours, leaving behind muck, debris, and a lingering stench. Meanwhile, videos and photos capturing the monsoon mayhem, submerged vehicles, stranded pedestrians, and swirling muddy currents, flooded social media, painting a stark picture of the chaos in Okhla.
A resident who was standing with others on a high road where water was less said: “The water level is continuously rising, and I am near the hospital. The entire park is submerged. It is already 1:00 at night, and the market area is completely waterlogged. People’s homes have been cut off as we were told, the gates have been shut so residents are standing outside their homes.”
Another resident standing outside a local hospital Alka Tabassum said: “The area is submerged. There’s also a hospital here, many shops, and schools. So, please show people the condition here, and explain why this is happening. This is because the drains are never cleaned. Once, in the middle, there was some cleaning done. Behind the drain there is a culvert. For at least a month, garbage kept lying on it. Both sides were fenced off because work was going on. As soon as the work ended and the fence was removed, all that debris was dumped back into the drain.
“Now, if you keep filling a drain like that, what will happen to its condition? The definite result is what we are seeing today it’s 12 or 1 at night, and all the public and families are stuck. Look at the basements, look here: both sides of the road are completely submerged. The water is coming in very fast from the drain side, even though it hasn’t rained.”
Another resident said: “I think by morning there will be a heavy flood here. People will be swimming here, not walking. If people don’t spend even ₹100, dump garbage into drains, throw it on the roads and in corners… If they just paid ₹50 a month to the garbage collector, this mess could be avoided. Where is this water coming from? Obviously, when garbage goes into the drains, it will block somewhere. Once blocked, this is the situation that follows you can see it yourself.
Irfan said by early morning the water had receded but the area got submerged again in the morning. Though residents were complaining but most of them started their lives as usual doing daily chores by wading into waterlogged streets of Jasola Village in the hope that things might get better.
