19 houses collapse, rain water floods homes in city (Times of India 09 September 2011)

NEW DELHI: Friday’s incessant downpour resulted in water entering homes and shops in areas like Defence Colony, Lajpat Nagar, Gagan Vihar, Lalita Park and Laxmi Nagar. Water even seeped into basements in these areas. People complained that due to the heavy downpour on Friday knee-deep water had collected on the streets and main roads. Almost every household reported damage to furniture and other items. The MCD received 19 complaints of building collapse from across the city.
“All the sewer lines in our block were flooded. We contacted Delhi Jal Board officials but nobody responded,” said Paramjeet Kaur, who lives in C block of Defence Colony. She added that whenever it rains, the houses adjacent to main drain in the colony get flooded. Ashok Mehta, who lives in Lajpat Nagar, said similar problems were faced by resident in his area too. “The basements of many shops in central market were flooded. Traders suffered financial losses as costly items stored there got damaged,” he added.
Ishrat Akram, who lives in Gagan Vihar, said many east Delhi residents complained of water entering their homes. “Though my house is built on higher ground, our whole driveway was flooded with rainwater today. Even drains in the area are overflowing, leaving no recognizable difference between the drain and road,” she said. MCD officials said that in many areas people have built concrete structures in the middle of the drainage system leading to waterlogging in those areas.