Rain fury continued to batter Ramanagaram district on Monday, leading to unprecedented floods in low-lying areas. Heavy rains led to many tanks in the district overflowing, aggravating the floods, and causing widespread damage.
Boats were used to rescue people stranded and cranes used to pull out vehicles submerged in inundated underpasses. The flood fury was so intense that even coconut trees and banyan trees were uprooted.
Incessant rains followed by breach of Bakshi Kere bund flooded several low-lying areas near Ramanagaram city areas. To avoid the flood waters, people shifted to safer locations and those in multistorey buildings were seen occupying the first or the second floors.
Bhagya, a resident of Arkeshwara colony, said, “On Monday morning, flood water gushed inside the house in no time. All articles were floating and we decided to go upstairs. Whatever ration we had floated away and we had a tough time feeding our children. Senior citizens and those who were bedridden had a tough time. The water levels rose dangerously, even up to the roof of houses. These are unprecedented rains and I feel scared the moment it rains”.
Residential areas located close to Arkeshwara colony such as Mahammadia Nagar, Hunasanahalli Main Road, Ziya Ulla block, and others were flooded.
The road were damaged to the extent that utility pipelines were visible. At Tippu Nagar, a railway underpass was inundated resulting in a KSRTC bus getting submerged.
Residents struggled as there was no power and food. Authorities were seen distributing food kits and drinking water bottles to stranded residents.
Shopkeepers on Hunasanahalli main road were seen using motors to drain out water. Nawab Jan, owner of M.M Stores, said “My store is located on the ground floor and it took hours for the water to recede. All the items got spoiled and sacks of pulses were completely submerged. In two decades, I have not seen this kind of rain”.
Many silk reeling units operating in Ramanagaram were inundated, resulting in heavy loss for the owners. Mushahid Khan, who runs a unit in Mohammadia Nagar, said, “All the materials and the machinery are submerged. Whatever we have spent to run the business has gone”.
Raghu, a resident of the area, said, “After the floodwater entered the area, cars and bikes started flowing. Residential buildings close to the stream that joins the Arkavathi are damaged. The force was so much that doors of the houses were broken and shutters of shops were damaged.”
In Troop Line, the stranded people were rescued with the help of boats.
In Channapatna taluk, many residential areas are inundated. At Beedi colony, over 200 houses were flooded.
Suhail Khan, a resident, said, “After Kudineerukatte lake breached, water gushed inside several localities. In our area, water entered houses since early morning. Women and children were shifted to a community hall. People have lost their household belongings”.
In the taluk, near Tittamaranahalli, the overflowing of lakes resulted in damage to properties and crops. As the Kanva river swelled, at Kondapur village at some areas the bank of the river eroded.
In Harisandra village, hundreds of chickens died after rainwater entered a poultry farm.
Due to improper drainage systems on the under construction highway, rain water flooded some of the hotels and parking areas. A tanker floating in Arkavathi river has also gone viral on social media.
