Inside red bus — and in neck-deep trouble

NEW DELHI: Friday’s rain may have brought much-needed relief from the scorching heat, but there was widespread misery on roads, exposing the tall claims of monsoon preparedness by agencies. There was heavy traffic jam owing to waterlogging at Minto Bridge. A DTC bus was stuck under the bridge — all passengers were safely rescued but not before large-scale panic ensued.No pumps were deployed despite the weather department having issued a warning.
Around 4.30pm, six people — including the driver and conductor of the red-AC bus plying on route number 460 — found themselves struck inside, in neck-deep waters. The driver said when “the bus stopped, the water levels were not so high, but they rose quickly”. A passerby, Ramesh Prasad, said: “The locals quickly brought ropes and helped rescue the passengers. Meanwhile, a car was trying to pass through the same area, despite being warned off. It got stuck and had to be pushed by the people.”
There were lengthy traffic jams at Minto Road, much like several other parts of the city. Pedestrians found it tough to cross roads. Traffic was thrown out of gear for a long time and vehicles were diverted towards ITO and New Delhi railway station. Some people claimed that they were stuck in traffic for more than two hours.
“Everything is submerged in the first real rain of the season. Water has entered into slums and people have been rendered helpless. My brother was stuck in the traffic for two hours,” Mohammad Zakhir, an e-rickshaw driver, rued. “No official has come to help us, so we have to do it all ourselves,” he added.
A PWD official, who was present at the site, said due to heavy flow, it was taking a lot of time to pump out water. “We are looking into the situation,” he said.
The usual blame-game followed with both NDMC and north corporation claiming that Minto Bridge came in the other agency’s jurisdiction. A north corporation spokesperson said they had written to PWD several times over the issue. Leader of the house in north corporation, Tilak Raj Kataria, criticised Delhi government for its “laziness”.