India, May 3 -- Waist-deep water at Minto Bridge, over 200 tree falls, power outages in dozens of residential pockets, and traffic pileups across arterial roads - a sudden, violent squall tore through Delhi early Friday, swamping streets, snapping power lines, and catching the city unawares as dark thunderclouds rolled in without warning.

The storm, which lasted barely 30 minutes, exposed the Capital's brittle response system - one that, despite new machinery and quicker helplines, remains vulnerable every time nature strikes without notice.

The public works department (PWD) fielded over 100 waterlogging complaints by mid-morning, while the MCD reported more than 60 cases of fallen trees across the capital - from Qutab Minar Metro stati...