Date:05/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/05/stories/2008010559620300.htm

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Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Sharp showers leave roads slushy

Staff Reporter

Nungambakkam records 2.9 cm of rainfall and Meenambakkam 4.5 cm

Traffic was choked on several arterial roads and motorists struggled to cross the pot-holed stretches

Photo: K. V. Srinivasan

wading through: Motorists on Dr.Radhakrishnan Road, Mylapore, on Friday. —

CHENNAI: Several city roads turned water-logged and slushy as skies opened up on Friday. Sharp showers were experienced in the city since Thursday night owing to formation of a trough of low pressure over southwest Bay of Bengal off Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka coast.

A Meteorological Department official said Nungambakkam received 2.9 cm of rainfall and Meenambakkam 4.5 cm between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. on Friday. The rainfall may decrease in the next two days.

The department forecast a generally cloudy sky and possibility of few spells of rain or thunder showers, which may be heavy at times in some areas, on Saturday.

The shutters of the Chembarambakkam and Red Hills reservoirs were opened in evening hours to let out surplus water from the heavy inflow.

About 500 cubic feet per second (cusecs) was released from the Chembarambakkam reservoir as it had almost reached the maximum storage of 3,645 million cubic feet (mcft).

At Red Hills reservoir, about 400 cusecs was released as the storage had reached about 3,200 mcft against its full capacity of 3,300 mcft.

A Public Works Department official said that surplus water release was a rare phenomenon during January.

Water-logged roads

Traffic was choked on several arterial roads owing to an incessant downpour on Friday morning.

Motorists struggled to cross the pot-holed stretches, including Inner Ring Road and Chennai-Tiruvallur High Road. Sterling Road and Poonamallee High Road were the other roads congested with traffic.

Streets off Tirumalai Pillai Road, including Sarangapani Street, in T.Nagar turned slushy following rain. Various areas in north Chennai, such as Washermenpet and Kodungaiyur, were water-logged.

Mayor M.Subramanian inspected the water-logged areas across the city on Friday.

He inspected the work to pump out water from inundated roads including G.N.Chetty Road, Thirumurthy Salai, Tirumalai Pillai Road, Bazullah Road and Dr.Natesan Road.

He said that 18 stormwater drains were under construction in T.Nagar at the cost of Rs.5.2 crore.

He also visited inundated areas in north Chennai such as Tiruvottiyur High Road and Korukkupet Seniamman Street.

He said that work to raise the road level of Seniamman Street at the cost of Rs.8.5 lakh would soon commence.