Thunderstorms leave Vijayawada waterlogged, traffic hit

Vijayawada: Overnight thunderstorms that lashed Vijayawada on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday brought the city to a standstill, causing severe waterlogging on major roads and traffic junctions, and inundating several low-lying areas with ankle-deep water. The situation exposed the city’s preparedness ahead of the monsoon.According to data for the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Thursday, Auto Nagar Gate recorded the highest rainfall at 106 mm, followed by Gunadala (101 mm), Labbipeta (94 mm), Tadepalli (77 mm), Governorpet (61 mm), Tadigadapa (55 mm) and Gollapudi (25 mm).In NTR district, Tiruvuru mandal recorded the highest rainfall at 109.6 mm, followed by Vijayawada Rural (95.8 mm), Vijayawada East (92.8 mm), Vijayawada Central and West (92.4 mm each), and Vijayawada North (91.8 mm), according to district administration data. Ten of the district’s 20 mandals recorded over 50 mm of rainfall.The first spell began around 10 pm on Wednesday and lasted about 30 minutes. A second spell started around midnight and continued into the early hours of Thursday, with varying intensity, inundating roads and low-lying areas across the city.Motorists and pedestrians were seen wading through waterlogged roads as rainwater, along with overflow from roadside drains and manholes, spilled onto the streets, causing widespread inconvenience.Pinnamaneni Polyclinic Road, NTR Circle, Nirmala Convent Road, parts of Bandar Road and Eluru Road, the road under bridge (RUB) near the RTC Bus Station, the I-Town low bridge and several other stretches were submerged.After the rains subsided, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) deployed monsoon response teams, which used dewatering machines to clear stagnant water. Most roads were cleared by around 10 am.