Jaipur: Heavy rainfall since Wednesday morning crippled traffic across Jaipur, with battered roads, craters, and waterlogging leaving commuters stuck in long jams throughout the day.The worst-hit stretches included Vijay Path in Tilak Nagar, Mansarovar, Tonk Road, C-Scheme, Ajmer Road, and the Tonk Puliya underpass, where knee-deep water forced vehicles to divert to adjacent roads. The diversion choked the stretch between KV Vidyalaya II and Tonk Road — recently converted into a one-way — leading to a further gridlock. Around two hours of intense rain submerged many upscale areas of the city registering 37.8mm of rainfall till 5.30pm.Along with heavy rain, strong winds caused power outages in several areas. Twenty devotees were trapped in the waters at the back of Galtaji temple. They were later rescued by a team by forming a human chain.“It took more than an hour to reach the Bais Godam crossing from Pink City Mall in Govind Marg. Normally, I cover this in 15–20 minutes,” said Dharmendra Mirchandrani, a resident of Frontier Colony in Adarsh Nagar.Traffic police officials said the combination of waterlogging and peak-hour rush created bottlenecks that took hours to ease. JLN Marg, one of the city’s busiest roads, remained clogged from morning till afternoon, with congestion resurfacing in the evening outside the high court and stretches of C-Scheme.The ripple effects of the slowdown spread to Sodala, Khatipura, Ajmer Road, and even Sikar Road. Commuters reported long waits at clogged junctions, uneven road patches, and poor visibility amid persistent drizzle.“Field personnel were deployed across vulnerable points. But the combined effect of potholes and waterlogged streets caused delays on key stretches. The situation improved somewhat by afternoon,” a traffic official said.At the Tonk Puliya underpass, a car breakdown worsened congestion as vehicles attempted to bypass the waterlogged stretch. “To cover barely 700 metres, it took almost 20 minutes. The broken-down car doubled the chaos,” said Paresh Rawat, who was heading from Malviya Nagar to Rambagh Circle.Early morning rains not only affected the city’s traffic due to waterlogging but also caused problems for patients coming to Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital. The dirty water from Tonk Road entered the SMS Hospital, causing distress to both patients and staff.The drug distribution counters area was flooded by water from Tonk Road, along with other areas inside the hospital. The hospital administration took measures to manage the situation using mud pumps. The risk of infection also increased due to the water, raising concerns about patient safety.In addition to the old city, several areas of the city experienced waterlogging up to two feet. In many old areas, including Hawa Mahal, Chandi Ki Taksal, and Subhash Chowk, water entered homes. Cars and motorbikes were seen submerged on the roads. Areas such as Jawahar Nagar and Raja Park also experienced power outages.
