City deluged by another bout of flooding rain

Heavy rainfall coupled with strong winds deluged the city, inundated homes, uprooted trees and disrupted traffic on Thursday morning. But the damage was mitigated by the fact that many people stayed indoors as it was Valmiki Jayanti, a public holiday.

The rainfall started at 12.30 pm and did not stop until late in the evening. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast thundershowers and heavy rainfall over the city and most parts of north interior Karnataka for the next two days.

Sundar M Metri, in-charge director, IMD, Bengaluru, told DH that thunder activity and strong winds were common in September and October as the southwest monsoon was withdrawing. The city received 18.6 mm of rainfall till 8.30 am, the HAL airport 17.1 mm and the Kempegowda International Airport 47.3 mm.

Although there were no casualties, places like Electronics City, BTM Layout, Koramangala, HSR Layout Sector 6 and 7, Madiwala, Shanthinagar bus stand, Lakshmi Road in Shanthinagar, Oxford College near Vajpayee Nagar, Kengeri, Chamarajpet, Basavanagudi, Sarjapur Road, Sadashivanagar, Bilekahalli and Anugraha Layout were waterlogged. The water level was up to four feet in most of these places.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike's (BBMP) rescue teams were at work helping people out of their homes in HSR Layout Sector 6 and 7. BBMP workers had limited success in draining the water out.

Scores of people were stranded on roads. About 25 passengers of a BMTC bus were rescued in Electronics City as the water level rose to three feet. Commuters struggled at Sivananda Circle as the road was waterlogged. Even crossing the Anandnagar underpass on Ballari Road became a tough task for people. The Hebbal flyover towards the airport was waterlogged, too.

Vehicles could not move on Hosur Road as it was fully flooded. Police had to divert traffic from some roads. Traffic was diverted from the waterlogged 80 Feet Road in Koramangala to the 12th main road towards the Wipro unction. There was slow-moving traffic from Lalbagh Gate towards Shanthinagar junction.

Around 10 trees were uprooted in Koramangala, BTM Layout, KR Puram, Bilekahalli, Banaswadi, Silk Board junction and Garudacharpalya but no casualty has been reported.

A compound wall in Rajajinagar 5th Block collapsed on a transformer and some people reportedly experienced electric shocks. But no one was injured.

Innumerable complaints of waterlogging and other problems were received at BBMP, Bescom and BWSSB control rooms.

Mayor R Sampath Raj said BBMP workers would be stationed in every ward to help clear water from streets. "I have deputed two people from Prahari, the disaster management cell, in each ward besides engineers to help people remove water from their homes," he said, adding that the BBMP's forest officials are clearing the uprooted trees as soon as they get the complaints.