Water moves in, traffic slows down

CHENNAI: The city experienced torrential downpour on Friday due to a low pressure system. Meteorological department officials said a squall with wind speed of 65 km per hour crossed the Meenambakkam observatory, lasting a couple of minutes.The suburbs and lanes off the GST Road were some of the worst hit, with widespread waterlogging in parts of Alandur, Madipakkam and Velachery.Earth movers and workers from the Chennai Corporation ensured that blocked storm water drains in Anna Nagar, Kilpauk, Chetpet, Koyambedu and Egmore were cleared by 3 pm.However, S Lakshmi, a resident of Kilpauk, said: “I had to wade through knee-deep water to reach my office on Barnaby Road.”There were traffic jams in Royapettah  and Nungambakkam until late in the evening. “I was stuck in the jam for more than half-an-hour. I kept running my bike into potholes,” complained M Sriram, who was held up on Mahatma Gandhi Road.The Village Road near Valluvar Kottam had to be shut by the evening. On Santhome High Road, waterlogging in low-lying areas led to traffic jams. The stagnant water brought a gamut of problems for motorists, especially along normally well-maintained stretches like the Marina Beach lane and Cathedral Road. The traffic police recorded a minor spurt in the number of accidents also.