NEW DELHI: Monsoon downpours and thunderstorms brought life in the Indian capital to a grinding halt on Wednesday as hundreds of thousands of commuters, and the US secretary of state, were left stran­ded on waterlogged roads.

Early morning torrential rains inundated large swathes of New Delhi and its surrounding areas, leaving motorists stuck in massive traffic jams, including the motorcade of top US official John Kerry.

“I don’t know how you all got here, you must have needed boats to get here,” Kerry told students at a townhall meeting after arriving an hour late due to the traffic chaos.

Kerry’s motorcade was caught up in the gridlock for the second time since his arrival in the capital on Monday, with the heavy showers forcing him to cancel visits to three religious sites.

Published in Dawn September 1st, 2016