As various parts of Bengaluru remained inundated due to incessant rains on Tuesday, 6 September, a scientist at the Indian Meteorological Department, Dr Geeta Agnihotri, indicated that the heavy showers will continue for the next two-three days.
"Today's rainfall report for Bengaluru is: Electronic City- 8 cms, City office- 4 cms, International airport- 9.6 mm and HAL airport- 5 cms," news agency ANI quoted her as saying.
Visuals of the waterlogged city showed submerged streets and partially inundated houses as the downpour continued from Monday night onwards.
Furthermore, the water from Bellandur lake continued to overflow onto the roads, and the Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) released a statement saying that it was currently focusing on supporting the rescue efforts that the authorities are undertaking.
The CEO of edtech company Unacademy, too, took to Twitter to say that 'things were bad.'
"Family and my Pet Albus has been evacuated on a Tractor from our society that’s now submerged," he wrote on the social media platform.
Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai Blames Congress' 'Misrule' for Floods
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, earlier in the day, said that several residential localities in Bengaluru are facing floods due to the "unplanned" management and "misrule" of the previous Congress government in the state.
Bommai alleged that the Congress gave permission for construction activities in lake areas, tank bunds, and buffer zones.
He also said that the Congress never thought about the management of tanks, adding, however, that his government had taken the matter up as a "challenge".
"Now I have taken it up as a challenge. I have given Rs 1,500 crore for the development of storm water drains," the CM said.
"Yesterday, I released Rs 300 crore to remove all the encroachments and do a pucca structure along the storm water drains and for the infrastructure, so that there are no impediments and bottlenecks in the flow of water," he added.
22-Year-Old Woman Dies Amid Floods
Meanwhile, a 22-year-old woman named Akhila died after she accidentally came in contact with a live electrical pole as her two-wheeler fell on a waterlogged road.
The incident took place in Siddapura located under the Whitefield Police station between Marathahalli and Varthur Kodi route on Monday, 5 September.
Akhila was returning from her place of work when her two-wheeler slipped while crossing a waterlogged road. She tried to grab a pole for support, but she got electrocuted after which she fell down.
She was taken to the hospital where she was declared dead.
Akhila's family held the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) responsible for their daughter's death over negligence and mismanagement of the electrical systems.
Office goers and school children were seen using boats and tractors to cross the roads submerged in water in areas like Yemalur, Rainbow Drive layout, Marathahalli, and Sunny Brooks Layout, among others.
"I came on a tractor as all the roads are submerged in water, our vehicles are under water as well... I have exams from tomorrow, so I have to go to school," a girl dressed in her school uniform told PTI.
Many private schools have declared holidays and have switched to the online mode of teaching for a few days, and many offices have asked employees to work from home.
CM Bommai Announces Rs 300 Cr
Owing to the severe conditions in Bengaluru, Karnataka CM Bommai said that a decision has been made to release Rs 300 crore to manage the current rains and for the maintenance of infrastructure in the city.
After a meeting with deputy commissioners of 15 districts, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), and senior officials regarding rain and floods in the state on Monday, 5 September, the CM told the media that the government has decided to release Rs 600 crore for the management of floods in Bengaluru and other districts, especially focusing on repairing roads, bridges, electric poles, transformers, and school buildings.
Bengaluru City was given Rs 300 crore and the Deputy Commissioners have Rs 664 crore readily available with them while Rs 500 crore has been released to improve infrastructure.
Rs 1500 crore has been released for the construction of Rajakaluve and the work would start once the rains stop.
Bommai has said that Rs 9.5 crore has been released for the establishment of a company of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) exclusively for Bengaluru and for boats and other equipment. This SDRF company will be exclusive to Bengaluru City and two more companies will be set up for the rest of the state by involving retired defense personnel.
Bommai said that a central team to analyse the rain and flood situation will arrive in Bengaluru on Tuesday night. A memorandum will be submitted with regards to the existing damages caused by the floods. After visiting the flood-hit areas, the government will hold a meeting with the team members.
The CM said he had visited TK Halli Pumphouse in the Malavalli taluk of Mandya which pumps the Cauvery drinking water supply to Bengaluru. The overflowing Bheemashwara River entered the TK Halli Pumphouse, causing extensive damage.
As a result, the chief minister has formulated an alternate plan for water supply in Bengaluru. Around 8,000 borewells are under the BWSSB control which would be restarted to supply water in places that had access to the Cauvery water supply.
Bommai said that some areas in Bengaluru City have received 150 percent more rains than usual between 1-5 September. Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli, and KR Puram have recorded 307 percent excess rain. This was the highest rainfall in the last 42 years.
KTR Tweets About Bangalore Rains, Says ‘Some Friends in Hyderabad Won’t Like’ What He Said
Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao, in response to the flooding in Bengaluru, has sent a message to those mocking the city and said that, "no Indian city is immune to the disastrous consequences of climate change."
KTR has urged Union Minister for Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri to plan reforms in urban planning and governance to manage the challenges of rapid urbanisation.
He said that "some Bengaluru leaders" have "taunted" Hyderabad in the past over a similar situation, however, there is a need to "learn from each others' experiences" to "grow as a nation."
(With inputs from NDTV, Times of India, and ANI.)
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