Rains in Chandigarh eases humidity woes, but traffic jams become spoilsport

Indian Express

a day ago

Though Tuesday's rainfall — 9.6 mm in the last 24 hours — brought some relief from intense humidity, it also triggered widespread waterlogging and traffic jams across Chandigarh. An additional 0.4 mm of precipitation was recorded between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, intensifying commuter woes during peak hours.
On Tuesday, the city received a total of 505.7 mm of monsoon rainfall since June 1, which is 5.2 per cent above average, signalling a relatively active monsoon season.
Morning commuters found city roads sluggish, as water accumulation slowed down traffic to a crawl, especially on entry points from neighbouring towns — Mohali and Zirakpur.
Those entering Chandigarh from Zirakpur and Mohali faced long queues due to submerged stretches. On the arterial road from Sector 47/46 towards Sector 31/32, long lines of vehicles queued up, with low-clearance cars struggling through the waterlogged patches.
'I commute daily from Zirakpur to Sector 17 office,' Rishi Sharma, an IT professional, shared. 'The waterlogged roads near Hallomajra and Sector 28 light point slowed every lane. My two-wheeler almost stalled.'
'I had a meeting in Sector 27, from 47/46 route via the roundabout to Sector 31 it took nearly an hour —traffic cops were trying but it was gridlock,' Ajay Singh, a marketing professional, said.
In a bulletin issued on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) maintained its prediction of thunderstorms and rain through the coming days, with expected maximum temperatures between 31–34 degree Celsius and minimum around 25–27 degree Celsius across the Tricity (Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula).