Another spell of rain leaves Bengaluru in misery

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Aug 24 2017, DH News: Heavy rain lashed the city on Wednesday, flooding low-lying areas and leaving people stranded.

The downpour left many homes flooded, but it was not as intense as on August 15. The city witnessed record rainfall on Independence Day, making this the wettest August in 127 years.

On Wednesday, water rose about 3 ft near the Kasturinagar bridge, and people waited in their vehicles for the water to subside. Cab fares spiked as demand rose.

By 11.30 pm, the city had received 42 mm. HAL airport alone had received 37.8 mm. Water entered hundreds of houses, officials said.

BBMP officials said they had received complaints of flooding from Marathahalli, Ramamurthy Nagar, Tigalarapalya, Mahadevapura, Kalki Road, Kasturi Nagar, CV Raman Nagar, Electronics City, HSR Layout, HBR Layout, Veerasandra Junction, Vignana Nagar, Kalyan Nagar, KR Puram and Banaswadi.

“Many people called to say roads were inundated, and they were afraid their homes would be flooded,” an official said.

The met department said the rainfall was caused by upper air cyclonic circulation over coastal Andhra Pradesh. It had forecast rain with thundershowers for Wednesday.

Traffic was disrupted at Dairy Circle, Okalipuram, Malleswaram, Mehkri Circle, Agara, Yeshwantpur, Hudson Circle, Marathahalli, Outer Ring Road and on the Hebbal flyover.

Residents of ST Bed Layout in Koramangala, who suffered the most during last week’s flooding, were not affected this time as the drain’s retention wall has been rebuilt.

The BBMP control room said rain had brought down three trees, one each at Padarayanapura on Mysore Road, RV Dental College in Jayanagar, and Devaiah Park.

Last week’s rain exposed how unprepared the civic agencies are when Bengaluru received 13 cm in 24 hours.

Choked stormwater drains, broken sewage pipes and haphazard construction combined to leave many parts of the city in chaos.

Last week, several vehicles parked in basements were covered with slush, and had to be towed away for expensive repairs.

Marathahalli affected

Marathahalli has received the highest amount of rainfall, a BBMP official said. Mahadevapura alone has registered 50 complaints of waterlogging.

“Work on stormwater drains was in progress in several places. The sites are now flooded, and water has overflowed onto the roads,” he said.