Heavy showers in Delhi disrupt airline services, 20 flights cancelled, 120 delayed

Heavy showers in north India pushed airlines to cancel at least 20 flights and delay 120 services, including arrival and departure, at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.

On Sunday, at least 20 flights from Delhi, scheduled to weather-affected cities like Dharamshala, Shimla and Leh, were cancelled, reported Business Standard. Moreover, SpiceJet cancelled at least 12 flights on routes such as Delhi-Dharamshala and Delhi-Leh. Vistara also cancelled its flights on the Delhi-Leh route on Sunday due to heavy rains.

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According to the Indian Meteorological Department, Delhi witnessed over 153 mm of rain between 08:30 am on Saturday and 08:30 am on Sunday. It was the highest rainfall recorded over 24 hours in Julysince 25 July 1982.

ALSO READ |Monsoon rains wreak havoc in northern India: Several dead, tens of millions affected

IndiGo operates at least 40 per cent of flights to and from the Delhi airport. The rainy weather heavily affected IndiGo's operations, as around 55 per cent of its flights got delayed. Air India also delayed 27 flights on Sunday.

According to the aviation analytics firm Ciruium, around 1,155 commercial passenger flights were scheduled from the Delhi airport on Sunday. However, the affected airlines, like IndiGo, Vistara, Air India, SpiceJet, and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), did not state anything about the delays or cancellations.

Torrential rains severely affected several parts of north India on Sunday. According to the reports, at least 15 people died in landslides and other rain-related accidents. Most rivers in north India, including Yamuna in Delhi, were in spate. Heavy showers affected all forms of commuting, including airways, roadways, and railways. Civic systems were unable to hold in the face of record rains. Roads and residential areas of Delhi and various other north Indian cities were submerged in knee-deep waters.

On July 4, Tuesday, three flights were diverted from the Delhi airport to Lucknow due to the bad weather.

Meanwhile, Vistara introduced a 'Monsoon Sale' for a limited period. The airline will provide domestic flights starting from ₹1,499 and international flights from ₹11,799. It will cover travel dates from July 2023 to March 2024 (terms and conditions apply).

Delhi: Rains cause severe damage to property

Besides flight delays and inundated roads, torrential rains caused heavy damage to life and property. In India's national capital Delhi, 15 houses collapsed, leaving two dead and seven injured.

Delhi Fire Service Director Atul Garg told ANI news agency that they received 15 calls regarding house collapse incidents due to heavy and extensive waterlogging. "We received 15 such calls, the most in a single day. Some old, decrepit houses and some under-construction buildings couldn't sustain the heavy rainfall and collapsed. Further, on account of severe waterlogging, we had trouble reaching the spot," Garg told ANI.

(With inputs from agencies)

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