Rain stalls city’s pace

Saturday afternoon saw city roads filled with water. Such was the impact of the downpour that prominent rotaries (roundabouts), which witnesses heavy vehicular movement, were almost submerged in water. While the work to rectify and open old drainage lines, replacing it with new, in southern sectors is on, people feel sudden downpours wreak havoc in Chandigarh, known for its planning and cleanliness.
Not just the junctions— Labour chowk in Sector 20 experienced

waterlogging

, ISBT 17 roundabout too witnessed serpentine queues of cars, bikes, owing to choking of drainage lines. The water level rose as rains went on and the cars were sunk deep till the bonnet area, leaving most

stranded

due to engine malfunction.
For a while heavy rains brought relief from hot and humid weather, and it also saw excited kids enjoying on the roads. However, as it continued, it turned out to be a nightmare, particularly for the commuters who had no option but to deal with the situation. “I could not believe it’s happening in Chandigarh. There's

traffic jam

, water accumulation and chaos on roads,” said Ritesh Thakur, who boarded the local bust from Sector 43 bus stand. Many CTU buses too were running behind schedule due to traffic jam.