Heavy rains wreak havoc in city, more downpour likely | Bengaluru - Hindustan Times
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Heavy rains wreak havoc in city, more downpour likely

By, Bengaluru
Jun 01, 2023 12:30 AM IST

IMD has issued an advisory to commuters highlighting the possibility of waterlogging, traffic jams, uprooted trees, asking residents to stay alert.

The residents of the state capital woke up to flooded underpasses and uprooted trees in several areas on Wednesday, after heavy rains lashed Bengaluru throughout Tuesday afternoon and well into the night.

The residents of the state capital woke up to flooded underpasses and uprooted trees in several areas on Wednesday (HT Photo)
The residents of the state capital woke up to flooded underpasses and uprooted trees in several areas on Wednesday (HT Photo)

The wet spell in the city isn’t over just yet, with showers expected in the coming days, as per the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) – putting Bengaluru’s crumbling infrastructure to another test.

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Just 10 days ago, waterlogging at KR Circle underpass – after heavy rains – claimed the life of 22-year-old year-old Infosys techie whose car got stuck in the flooded passageway.

IMD has issued an advisory to commuters highlighting the possibility of waterlogging, traffic jams, uprooted trees, asking residents to stay alert.

On Wednesday too, many underpasses in the city including at KR Circle, Sivananda Circle, Okalipuram, Sankey Road, Lingarajpuram, Kaveri Junction were waterlogged after Tuesday’s rain. “Till 6pm, Bengaluru had recorded 19mm of rainfall on Tuesday,” said IMD officials.

Commuters could be seen trying to wade knee-deep water to cross the underpasses. As the water level increased, the traffic police put up barricades as a precautionary measure, blocking traffic near KR Circle, Sivananda Circle, among others.

Meanwhile, commuters had a close shave as a tree came crashing down on Tuesday on Kamala Nagar Road near Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board Office, said officials, adding that several vehicles were damaged. Trees were uprooted amid the gusty winds and heavy showers near CV Raman General Hospital on Tuesday in Indiranagar as well, disrupting movement of traffic until Wednesday, said officials. Reports of felled trees came from HRBR Layout, Basaveshwaranagar, Old Airport Road, Babusabpalya and Belthur-Seegehalli Road, said officials.

The rain also damaged the sewage pipeline on Yemlur-Bellandur Kere Kodi Road – the connecting road for Bellandur residents. “Yemlur to Bellandur Kere Kodi Road is temporarily closed due to civil work in Kere Kodi and commuters are requested to use an alternate road to enter ring road,” said deputy commissioner of police (traffic east), Kala Krishnaswamy.

The situation was the same at several arterial roads in the city, complained residents. “Waterlogging was not as bad as last year, but it did disrupt traffic movement. We urge the BBMP officials to take measures at the earliest,” said Krishna Kumar Gowda, general manager of Outer Ring Road Companies Association.

Images and videos of the roof of Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal railway station being blown away due to strong winds were shared on social media.

BBMP officials on high alert

Meanwhile, on the direction of deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike chief commissioner Tushar Girinath visited the affected areas late on Tuesday to inspect the measures taken in order to prevent waterlogging. He also checked the control rooms and issued directions to officials to remain alert and respond quickly.

Nath revealed that all authorities have been instructed to remain on high alert and to make sure all BBMP machinery is equipped and prepared to meet eventuality and contingency of any kind, of any dimension, at any place and at any given point in time.

“All zonal commissioners, chief engineers and executive engineers along with the forest wing have been directed to be on high alert on the field and monitor the situation constantly. The control rooms will be operational round the clock from zonal to sub-divisional levels,” he said, warning of strict action in the event of carelessness.

The BBMP commissioner also asked the public to contact the central office control room telephone number 1533 immediately if they are in trouble due to rain.

On May 21, a 22-year-old employee of Infosys died after the car she was travelling in was submerged at KR Circle underpass. A day later, body of a 31-year-old man was found in an overflowing stormwater drain in KP Agarahara.

After the incident, the civic body had taken up an audit of the 53 underpasses in the city and proposed measures to prevent waterlogging. The report is expected to be submitted in a few days, an official aware of the developments said.

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