New Delhi/Mumbai:
The national capital and the financial capital are facing monsoon woes with Delhi coming to a standstill over the weekend and Mumbai's 'killer' potholes frequently claiming lives.
In Delhi, massive traffic snarls were reported in almost all the areas due to water-logging as well as non-functional traffic signals. Bumper-to-bumper traffic was witnessed at major intersections such as ITO, Laxmi Nagar, Moti Bagh, Kashmere Gate, Munirka, Dwarka and Dhaula Kuan.
Several vehicles also broke down in the middle of the road due to water-logging. The rains started on Saturday and by Sunday evening, Delhi was a mess.
In Mumbai, the situation was no different. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) may have allotted Rs 50 crore for pothole repair this year but the roads of Mumbai remain a nightmare.
Three lives have been lost in pothole-related accidents only this year.
Earlier this month, a 28-year-old civil engineer, Umesh Shinde was killed when his two-wheeler skid on a pothole on the Western Express Highway.
On Sunday, 48-year old Asha Damdare, who was riding a two wheeler with her daughter died of internal injuries which she sustained after falling off her two-wheeler while trying to dodge a pothole in Vasai on the outskirts of Mumbai.
In Delhi, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit invoked the gods for a solution. Ms Dikshit, when asked about the infrastructure collapse, told reporters, "Pray to god so that the rains stop."
In Mumbai, the BMC promises pothole-free roads every year, with the ritual being repeated this year too.
For the residents of India's most important cities, however, monsoon is far from welcome.