IMD issues heavy rain alert for Bengaluru, two labourers drown amid showers

Officials said two contractors have been detained and a probe is underway. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is carrying out Kaveri Stage 5 work at the site where the accident took place.

According to the IMD, Bengaluru received 114.6 mm of rainfall till 8:30 am on Wednesday. The weather bureau’s data shows the highest record of a 24-hour rainfall was in May 1957 when the city received 287 mm of rainfall.

The rain left many houses in the BTM, K R Puram, and Timber Yard Layout areas marooned, officials and residents said. Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai visited the flood-affected areas in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) control room received water logging complaints from Jayanagar, Indiranagar, Jeevanbima Nagar, Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli, and other low lying areas. Complaints from Vagdevi Layout, HSR Layout, Koramangala, and BTM about power outages also flooded the BESCOM helpline.

BBMP control room received water logging complaints from Jayanagar, Indiranagar, Jeevanbima Nagar, Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli, and other low lying areas. (Express photo by Jithendra M)

“This is an every year affair. The drains were clogged and we were not able to see the road. The road’s condition is so bad and in an ill-lit area like BTM and Bilekahalli it was difficult to navigate on the road,” said Chandrashekar M, a local resident in BTM.

Brand strategist Harish Bijoor tweeted, “Water has a memory! It will go where it used to! The low-lying built-up city area, which was once a lake! Let’s not complain! We built a city within a set of lakes we dried up! Let’s grin and bear it! Ouch!”

With mounting complaints from citizens on waterlogging, the BBMP said it is desilting drains and declogging outlets so that the water does not stagnate on roads. Special commissioner, BBMP, Trilok Chandra said, “Contracts to clean 440 km of drainage network in the city were given in 2022.”

BBMP chief commissioner Tushar Giri Nath said, “I have instructed the BBMP, BESCOM, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and fire department to work in a coordinated approach during rains. The SDRF will head the rain rescue team in each zone and will coordinate with the zonal commissioner. Bengaluru East, West, and Bommanahalli Zones were affected more. The officials are pumping out water from residential premises. Moreover, there are 21 teams of the BBMP forest wing, of which 18 are working in the morning and three in the night for rain relief operations.”

Meanwhile, the Bengaluru International Airport in a tweet advised passengers to plan their travel. “Due to heavy rain in #Bengaluru, passengers might face waterlogging and slow-moving traffic in a few areas towards the Airport. Please plan your travel accordingly,” read the tweet.