John Kerry jokes about traffic mess that halted Delhi

US secretary of state John Kerry joked at the IIT-Delhi campus on Wednesday morning about the heavy rainfall that flooded Delhi’s roads.

“Don’t know how you all got here. You must’ve needed boats to get here,” Kerry told the gathering at the south Delhi institute.

Kerry’s motorcade was caught in an hour-long traffic jam on his arrival on Monday evening and had to be rescued by additional traffic teams.

School students and office goers were stranded and many companies allowed employees to work from home on Wednesday as over 400 jams were reported from various parts of the city. Cases at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) were postponed due to the heavy morning showers.

A lawyer, who had a hearing in the morning, said he, like many of his colleagues couldn’t reach the court due to the heavy showers, waterlogged roads and unending traffic jams.

“Most cases got fresh hearing dates because of this,” the lawyer said.

The traffic was thrown out of gear on many stretches due to severe waterlogging. Commuters were stranded and on many routes it took as much as two hours to cover a short distance of eight kilometres.

Delhi Traffic Police said waterlogging was reported from Ring Road around Dhaula Kuan, Bhairon Marg towards Mathura Road, Teen Murti roundabout, IGNOU road, IP flyover towards Sarai Kale Khan, Dr Zakir Hussain Marg, Loha Mandi to Mayapuri, Gol Dak Khana, Kali Bari Marg, and Chirag Dilli to Nehru Place flyover.

DTC buses broke down in different parts of the city due to knee-deep water on the roads, which added to the jams.

“We have deployed additional staff to man traffic at major intersections.

Since portions of many roads have sunk in water, it has become difficult to direct vehicles,” said a traffic official.

The Met department said that till 8.30am on Wednesday, Delhi recorded 3.9mm rains.

The forecast says that heavy rains are likely through the day.

Stretches around South Avenue, Shanti Path, Naraina flyover and Vasant Kunj were also flooded.

Commuters took to Twitter to vent their frustration during morning hours.

“Heavy rains and traffic jams have become such a Delhi thing,” tweeted Pranjali Mishra.

Don’t know how you all (gathering at IIT-Delhi) got here. You must’ve needed boats to get here. JOHN KERRY, US secretary of state