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The Opposition BJP lashed out at the ruling Congress after several areas of Bengaluru saw waterlogging in the wake of heavy rain on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday and asked the Karnataka government to release Rs 1,000 crore for relief operations in the city.
In a statement, Leader of Opposition R Ashok said one spell of pre-monsoon showers has exposed the “true colours of Brand Bengaluru”. “In such a situation, the chief minister, his deputy and other ministers, instead of rushing to the aid of victims, are busy preparing for Sadhana Samavesha,” he said. Sadhana Samavesha is an event scheduled on May 20 to mark two years of Congress rule in the state.
The heavy spell of rain left residents of low-lying areas in Bengaluru struggling with waterlogging, and it is expected to continue till Tuesday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing an ‘orange’ alert across Karnataka. Several areas across the city received over 100 mm of rain overnight.
“Since midnight, many areas in the city have been flooded, and hundreds of vehicles have been washed away. Last year, locations such as Sai Layout and Nandagokula Layout also experienced flooding, and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, along with civic officials, promised permanent solutions. However, those promises remain unfulfilled, and the layouts are submerged once again,” Ashok said.
BJP state president B Y Vijayendra used the recent announcement regarding Greater Bengaluru, which will replace the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), to criticise the government. “Greater Bengaluru has become water Bengaluru,” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy Shivakumar are scheduled to take stock of the rain-affected areas Monday evening. Ahead of the same, Shivakumar said officials have managed the flood situation in parts of Bengaluru. “In some low-lying areas, water entered homes,” he said, adding that it could not be avoided despite heavy rain forecasts.
“We were informed about heavy rain by the meteorological department. Our officials had made preparations four days in advance,” he said, adding that Rs 2,000 crore borrowed from the World Bank is being used to solve flooding caused by heavy rain.
Meanwhile, a 35-year-old woman died in Bengaluru Monday morning as the compound wall of a software firm where she worked collapsed following heavy overnight rain.
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