Heavy downpour on Sunday evening played spoilsport for Diwali celebrations in Bengaluru as citizens were forced to stay indoors, due to waterlogging in several areas. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bengaluru city received over 37.4mm of rainfall while areas around HAL Airport received 40.6 mm till 8.30 am on Monday.
The local civic body the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), in a release, stated that over eight areas in the Bommanahalli zone and a couple of areas in Yelahanka zone were inundated due to heavy rains. The areas that experienced waterlogging in the city included 17th and 18th Main and 21st, 22nd and 23rd Cross of HSR Layout Sector 3, Garden Layout, several areas of HSR Layout Sector 6, Garepalya Main Road, Hongasandra, Vakil Marina Layout, and Anugraha Layout in Kodichikkanahalli, Bilekahalli.
At the same time, areas around AMCO layout, and near Lumbini garden also experienced waterlogging and minor flooding.
BBMP officials added that the deputy mayor visited the spots to inspect damages and issued instructions on how to tackle the issues. As many as six ‘Prahari’ emergency response vehicles equipped with tree-cutters, pickaxes, ropes, pumps and other tools deployed in Mahadevapura and Bommanahalli were also redirected to these areas to ensure faster solution, BBMP officers told Indianexpress.com.
Meanwhile, as heavy downpour continued till 2 am on Monday, netizens took to Twitter to express views on how their Diwali was either ‘saved’ or ‘spoiled’ by the rains.
Rain dampened the #Diwali celebrations. Wind won’t let light Diyas. Kya yaar! Bengaluru’s weather is so unpredictable ??
— AmaR (@amarspks) October 27, 2019
First time experiencing heavy rain on the day of Diwali here in Bengaluru. Natures way of reminding us that climate change is real. Enough is enough! #pollutionfreediwali
— Danny Jacob (@danny_jacob) October 27, 2019
Another user chose to blame the economy for making Diwali ‘gloomy’ in Bengaluru. “I don’t think that rain is playing spoilsport but this Diwali in Bengaluru is gloomy. It seems to be the Economy,” he wrote on Twitter.
I don’t think that rain is playing spoil sport but this Diwali in Bengaluru is gloomy.
It seems to be the Economy. Not too many lights lit or decorations compared to two years ago. Many friends jobless. A few friends have taken money from me in the last year but haven’t returned.— RamMandirAyodhya KarSevak (@vijay_rajan) October 25, 2019
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As Cyclone Kyarr has moved west-northwards, a significant reduction of rainfall in the past 24 hours has been recorded over Karnataka coasts, Konkan, and Goa, as well as the eastern and northeastern parts of the country. The IMD has predicted a “generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers” for Bengaluru till Tuesday.