ITO going under triggers massive traffic spillovers

Parts of central Delhi's ITO and Mathura Road were submerged on Friday even as the army and the navy were deployed to bring the flooding under control.

- Sanjeev K Jha and Snehil Sinha

Commuters on Vikas Marg spent hours wading through inundated roads, while the Delhi Traffic Police said that vehicular movement will be closed on Saturday on the stretch on both the carriageways from Laxmi Nagar to ITO and vice-versa - due to the waterlogging.

Officials said that the situation worsened on the stretch after a drain regulator broke down at 7pm on Thursday even as five of the 32 gates at the barrage along the old ITO bridge were also jammed, causing a swollen Yamuna to enter one of the busiest traffic junctions of Delhi.

SS Yadav, special commissioner of police (traffic), said that traffic restrictions will continue till the roads are cleared of the waterlogging. "We have restricted and regulated traffic on many roads. These roads will be commutable once the water level recedes in the affected areas. Till then, we don't have any option other than to impose traffic restrictions," said Yadav.