Even as unprecedented heavy rains continued to pound Bengaluru for the last one week, including on Monday night, bringing the city to its knees, a 23-year-old woman was killed due to suspected electrocution while she was returning home from work on her scooter in inundated roads in Siddapura, Whitefield.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains in Karnataka till Friday, September 9. Very heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places over Coastal and South Interior Karnataka, including Bengaluru.
Roads were inundated, rainwater entered homes, flights were diverted, buses and other vehicles broke down, schools were shut and boats were pressed into service as a result of the third highest single day rainfall the city has ever recorded.
Monday night’s downpour again caused floods in several parts of Mahadevapura zone, starting from Sai Layout near KR Puram to parts of Whitefield, Bellandur, Yamlur, Varthur and several residential pockets along Sarjapur Road, including Ranibow Colony that was flooded recently too.
Evacuation and rescue operations underway in several areas
For the last two days, NDRF teams, assisted by personnel from SDRF as well as fire and emergency services, have been carrying out evacuations as per orders from BBMP and relief commissioner.
So far, the team has evacuated people from Panathur-Varthur area and DNA Iris Apartments in Whitefield. They also attended to an early morning distress call from Chaithanya Greenford Apartments at Seegehalli, which was inundated after a lake overflowed on Monday-Tuesday intervening night. The NDRF team rscued 71 residents.
Evacuation operations were also carried out at T-Zed Homes in Whitefield as well as Rainbow Drive Layout in Sarjapura.
"We have two teams of 60 NDRF personnel that we have further split into two, and have carried out operations at four places in last two days," said J Senthil Kumar, Assistant commandant and operation in-charge of NDRF in Bengaluru.
Commenting on the unprecedented rains, Mr. Kumar said, "The lakes are filled to the brim and overflowing. The IMD has also issued a yellow alert in some places in Karnataka. We request people to seek shelter in homes (of friends, relatives) which are on higher ground until the situation gets better.
The team has now received a distress call from Bengaluru Rural region and is on its way to Hoskote where about 25 people are stranded.
Meanwhile, there has been no solution in sight to the waterlogging on outer ring road (ORR) which, after the steady onslaught of rains, has not only impacted IT firms and MNCs but also small businesses and eateries that operate there.
CM Bommai blames previous Congress govt
Noting that Bengaluru City has received unprecedented rainfall this monsoon season — highest in the last 90 years — Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the IT corridor has been under rainwater owing to overflow of tanks and illegal encroachments and constructions of buildings, particularly in Mahadevapura ward of Bengaluru.
“Basically two zones, particularly the Mahadevapura zone, is facing problems because there are 69 tanks in the small areas and tanks have breached and overflowing. Secondly, all the establishments are located in the low-lying areas, and thirdly, encroachments are rampant,” the CM said.
Blaming the Opposition Congress for maladministration and granting of permission for construction of buildings on the encroached lands, he said the officers, including engineers, workers and SDRF team, are working round the clock to clear encroachments. The CM also spoke of the contingency plan to ensure drinking water for residents of Bengaluru.
BBMP Chief Commissioner assures citizens
In a series of tweets, Chief Commissioner of BBMP Tushar Giri Nath said that the impact of flooding in the city after heavy rainfall is severe in Mahadevapura Zone. Calling it the “second wet season seen by Bengaluru in the last 50 years,” he said the filling up of 162 lakes has caused flooding. He assured citizens that around 20 boats and an equal number of pumps were being used to evacuate and flush out water.
Rain, the great leveller
The incessant rains pounding Bengaluru have affected both the rich and the poor. Floodwaters have gushed into luxury villas and slums alike, forcing evacuation of people. Water levels rose to dangerous levels at the upscale Divyasree 77 East project in Yemalur at Marathahalli, half submerging homes and cars. Residents had to be evacuated in tractors by NDRF and SDRF personnel. Villas here are priced upwards of ₹8-10 crore. Similar situation was witnessed at Epsilon Residential Villas, also in Yemalur, where properties are worth ₹12 crore and above.
Residents from apartment complexes in Bellandur and Marathahalli took to social media seeking help to pump water out from their buildings. As an immediate measure, they filled up bags with sand from the children’s play area and reinforced the gates to stop water from entering the complex.
Sunday’s rains also rendered thousands of pourakarmikas homeless and destitute, after their camp in Munnekolalu was inundated. Over 150 families were impacted as their groceries, documents, clothes and books were all washed away by flood waters.
Woman electrocuted
A 23-year-old woman, identified as Akhila, died due to electrocution at Siddapura in Whitefield on Monday night. The deceased was returning home from the private school where she was working as office administrator. Close to her home, the road was flooded with knee deep water. Unable to ride further Akhila tried to stop her scooter but is suspected to have come in contact with an electric pole and immediately collapsed on the ground. Passers by rushed her to private hospital where she was declared brought dead.
Parents of the girl and residents of the area have vented their anger against civic agencies, whose apathy took the life of the young girl, they allege. Police have registered a case and are probing the matter further.
Rain fury batters low-lying areas in Bengaluru
Record single-day rainfall
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath on Monday said that the monsoon rain received this year is the second highest in the city since 1971.
In 1998 the city received 725mm, while this year, starting from 1 June to 5 September, the city saw 709 mm rainfall.
IMD officials said Bengaluru received a record amount of 131.6 mm rainfall on Sunday, making it the third highest single-day rainfall the city has ever recorded.
Traffic police advisories
Bengaluru Traffic Police personnel took to Twitter to warn citizens of waterlogging in several areas, advising them to use alternative routes. Traffic advisory was issued owing to heavy waterlogging at Belathur, Chanasandra and Varthur by the Whitefield Traffic Police Station. The Outer Ring Road remained off bounds for smaller vehicles.
BWSSB appoints special officers
Citizens can call special officers deputed by the BWSSB to all areas of Bengaluru in case of water and sanitary issues. The BWSSB has released a note with information in this regard.
Meanwhile, engineers have completed dewatering the pumping stations at T.K.Halli. Water supply to Bengaluru will be resumed after the drying of the pumps and motors.
Kanteerava Indoor Stadium inundated
Rainwater also entered the premises of Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium on Monday, forcing the cancellation of play on the first day of the FIBA Asian u-18 women’s basketball championship (Division-A). The rooms in the stadium were also affected and the organisers were working hard to ensure matches start on time on Tuesday.
A release from the world body FIBA said: “The games at the FIBA u-18 Women’s Asian Championship Division A on Sept. 5 will be rescheduled due to heavy rains in the area the previous day causing leaks in the competition venue. The games will be played on Sept. 6.”
Water supply to be disrupted on Sep 6
The supply of drinking water will be affected on Tuesday as well as the Kaveri pumping station in TK Halli in Mandya district, has been inundated as a result of heavy rains. In a press release, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) said that more than 50 areas including Malleshwaram, Seshadripuram, Indiranagar, Sadashiva Nagar, Kengeri and others will not get drinking water for two days. CM Basavaraj Bommai also visited the pumping station in the afternoon.
IMD issues yellow warning
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of thunderous rainfall till September 9 across Karnataka.
The most affected areas are said to be Bellandur, Sarjapura Road, Whitefield, Outer Ring Road, and BEML Layout. All commuters, especially those working in the IT corridor have been requested to avoid taking ORR.
The weatherman has also sounded yellow alerts on Tuesday and Thursday for Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts.
