73% of Delhi NCR residents surveyed rate their local administration as poor or worse when it comes to water logging preparedness; 60% experienced loss of productivity and working hours, some incurred vehicle repair costs in last 60 days

July 31, 2025, New Delhi: Torrential rainfall or even brief spells of heavy rains this year have time and again exposed the fault lines in cities of Delhi NCR to handle flow of water, let alone harvest it, though colonies are being encouraged to invest in water harvesting structures.

Heavy rains on July 29 brought parts of Delhi to a standstill, with dramatic visuals emerging from various parts of the national capital of vehicles stuck in knee deep water in many places. Several homes and even Delhi’s premier Safdarjung Hospital saw water gushing in. Such was the scenario on July 29, when Delhi received over 100.2 mm of rainfall within only two hours.

Videos on social media show how every heavy shower result in traffic jams as the main roads and under bridge areas in Delhi, Gurugram, Ghaziabad etc., get submerged, not allowing vehicles to move. The result was Delhi Traffic Police had to issue several advisories warning commuters to avoid specific routes. Beyond the immediate fallout there is risk of mosquito breeding in waterlogged areas rise in vector borne diseases and other waterborne diseases.

There is also the hardship people – right from school children to working men and women- face as they cannot travel in safety. Many vehicles end up being damaged due to the water logging.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast more heavy rainfall for Delhi and other states until August 4. The political blame game has started as new and old administrators in Delhi NCR try to shift the responsibility of not learning from past experiences and rectifying deficiencies in the city/ town infrastructure. The unfortunate part is that Delhi NCR doesn’t make most of the monsoon rains to replenish its dipping ground water level.

Through a new survey, LocalCircles has strived to find the issues residents of Delhi NCR have faced this year in the last 60 days and their view on water logging preparedness by their city administration. The survey received over 23,000 responses from residents of Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad. 67% respondents were men while 33% respondents were women.

4 in 5 Delhi NCR residents surveyed confirm experiencing one or more issues due to waterlogging in the last 60 days

The survey first asked residents of Delhi NCR, “Did you face any issues over the last 60 days in regard to water logging in Delhi NCR?” Out of 12,114 Delhi NCR residents who responded 83% stated “yes” they faced problems due to water logging and 17% of respondents stated that they “did not face any issues”. In essence, 4 in 5 Delhi NCR residents surveyed confirm experiencing one or more issues due to waterlogging in the last 60 days.

1 in 5 Delhi NCR residents surveyed confirm incurring additional maintenance & repair costs on their vehicle due to water logging in last 60 days; 3 in 5 say lost productivity and working hours

The survey next asked residents of Delhi NCR, “What are all the issues you have faced over the last 60 days in regard to water logging in Delhi NCR?” Some among 10,055 who responded to the question indicated more than one issue with 60% indicating “spent extra time in traffic”; 60% of respondents indicating “lost productive time/ working hours”; 20% of respondents indicating “vehicle got stuck in water logging and incurred maintenance/ repair cost”; 40% of respondents stating that they “experienced issues other than the once described above”. To sum up, 4 in 5 Delhi NCR residents surveyed confirm experiencing one or more issues due to waterlogging in the last 60 days.

73% of Delhi NCR residents surveyed rate their local administration as poor or worse when it comes to water logging preparedness

As political leaders and administrators blame each other, the survey asked residents of Delhi NCR, “Overall, how do you rate your city administration on water logging preparedness this monsoon season?” Out of 11,197 who responded to the question, none described it as very good. However, 9% of respondents stated “good”; 9% of respondents stated “average”; 18% of respondents stated "poor”; 55% of respondents stated "pathetic” and 9% of respondents did not give a clear answer. To sum up, 73% of Delhi NCR residents surveyed rate their local administration as poor or worse when it comes to water logging preparedness.

In summary, 4 in 5 Delhi NCR residents surveyed confirm experiencing one or more issues due to waterlogging in the last 60 days. The result is 1 in 5 Delhi NCR residents surveyed confirm incurring additional maintenance & repair costs on their vehicle due to water logging in last 60 days. Of those surveyed, 3 in 5 say the water logging resulted in loss of productivity and working hours. Not surprisingly, 73% Delhi NCR residents surveyed rate their local administration as poor or worse when it comes to water logging preparedness.

As the survey points out, Delhi NCR residents are aware of where the problem lies. It is time authorities took note of the widespread problems due to waterlogging and the need to have the infrastructure to harness the water through proper drainage and water harvesting. There is also need to correct the faults in infrastructure that leads to roads and under bridges getting submerged leading to damaged vehicles and roads.

Survey Demographics

The survey received over 23,000 responses from residents of Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad. 67% respondents were men while 33% respondents were women. The survey was conducted via LocalCircles platform, and all participants were validated citizens who had to be registered with LocalCircles to participate in this survey.