Destructive downpour
Rains came, first as a relief from blistering heat in the national capital region, and then manifested into chaos and destruction. The residents of the region had no option than to transition from one misery to another. One may blame the vagaries of weather for this utter fiasco, but humans themselves—both citizens and authorities—cannot be absolved of their responsibility.
Thanks to its largely unplanned construction and drainage, Delhi translates into a heat island during summers and faces serious water-logging during the monsoon, year after year—with no solution in sight. Officials suggest that the monsoon is likely to arrive in Delhi in a couple of days’ time. Yet, the city administration has been caught completely off guard in the wake of the pre-monsoon torrential rains. It goes on to reveal that there is an underlying tendency to bypass the deep-rooted systemic and structural issues unless they grab headlines for all the wrong reasons. Currently, like each year, the national capital finds itself grappling with severe waterlogging, traffic disruptions, and a tragic infrastructure failure. The Delhi government held an emergency meeting at the Delhi Secretariat on Friday. This goes on to highlight the gravity of the situation.
The most alarming incident, of course, was the collapse of the roof at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport's Terminal-1. The tragic incident claimed at least one life, and injured several people. Countrywide, we have had similar infrastructure collapses in the past. Sadly, no lessons seem to be taken. The infrastructural failures, perhaps, have occurred under successive governments but the onus of improvement is largely on the present government. Taking a dig at the Central government, Indian National Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted: “Corruption and criminal negligence is responsible for the collapse of shoddy infrastructure falling like a deck of cards.” Furthermore, the flooding of underpasses and roads after just a few hours of rain reflects poorly on the city's drainage system and the accountability of the governing bodies. The persistent flooding at Minto Bridge has become a notorious indicator of the monsoon's arrival in Delhi, symbolising decades of bureaucratic inefficiency and political apathy. This recurrent problem points to a broader issue of unauthorised construction and encroachment, which further compound the city's drainage woes.
Of course, the intensity of downpour was profound. In just 24 hours, the Safdarjung base station recorded 228.1 mm of rainfall, the highest in June since 1936. However, in the wake of the worsening climate scenario, city administrations are expected to step up to the challenges with appropriate preparations—which has not been the case in Delhi. The Internet and social media were flooded with volumes of pictures and videos demonstrating the chaotic fallout of the rains.
Rather than merely being content with emergency responses, long-term solutions must be sought. The immediate focus has to be on enhancing the city's infrastructure to withstand heavy rainfall. This includes upgrading drainage systems, ensuring regular maintenance of roads and bridges, and enforcing strict regulations against unauthorised construction. Moreover, there is an urgent need to hold both public officials and private contractors accountable for infrastructure projects. The collapse of the Terminal-1 roof at IGI Airport, built in 2009, might be a consequence of poor workmanship and lack of oversight. It is imperative that the government conducts thorough investigation into such incidents and takes stringent action against those found guilty of negligence. As Delhi braces for the full onset of the monsoon, it is imperative that sustainable solutions are found for the pestering problems. Meanwhile, accountability for the current mishap becomes imperative.
