Highlights
- Bengaluru has been witnessing heavy rains, and normal life in the IT hub of India has come to a halt
- Several areas, including highways and the outer ring road, have been busy with traffic
- CM instructed officials to see to it that water is drained out from the inundated roads at earliest
Bengaluru has been witnessing heavy rains, and normal life in the IT hub of India has come to a halt amid the heavy downpour. Several areas, including highways and the outer ring road, have been busy with traffic on Monday as areas were inundated, and water-logging on roads including arterial ones hit traffic flow while boats and tractors were pressed into service in certain parts.
Due to heavy waterlogging, the people of Bengaluru have been using tractors and boats were used to ferry students and office goers in the morning. A few days ago on August 30th, reports say that IT companies had suffered a loss of Rs 255 crores with staff being stuck in offices for over five hours. Most IT companies are located on the outer ring road of the city.
With several lakes in the city overflowing and stormwater drains flooded, several low-lying areas bore the brunt, with water entering houses and affecting normal life.
"There have been heavy rains in Bengaluru, I have spoken to the Commissioner (BBMP) and other officials. I have asked officials to depute two State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) teams to Mahdevapura and Bommanahalli zones in the city that have been worst affected, with boats and other equipment..also engineers are there," Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
Speaking to reporters, he said, he has instructed officials to see to it that water is drained out from the inundated roads at the earliest.
"There is a plan on how to create a temporary drain and how to go about it (drain out water), it will be operationalised today," he added.
Noting that due to heavy rains on Sunday, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board's (BWSSB) unit that manages Cauvery water supply to city at T K Halli has been flooded and has caused damage to machinery there, Bommai said, he will be visiting there to inspect the spot.
"Already BWSSB chairman, engineers, Urban Development Secretary and other officials are there, work on draining out water is underway...probably by afternoon or evening things will be under control. All technical and emergency works are underway," he added.
However, BWSSB has warned of water supply disruption in several areas of Bengaluru on Monday and Tuesday.
