The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Heavy rain floods many low-lying areas in city

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Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Heavy rain floods many low-lying areas in city

Staff Reporter

Power shutdown adds to the woes of residents

— Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Water woes: Residents of Chandra Nagar in Bangalore wade through water after the locality was flooded on Monday.

BANGALORE: Late-evening commuters in Bangalore had a harrowing time on Monday as heavy rain battered the city leaving many roads flooded. Several residents in low-lying areas had to brave the chilly night as their houses were inundated. Residents of some areas had to cope up with power shutdown for nearly three hours.

While many roads witnessed traffic jams and slow-moving traffic owing to flooding, motorists had to wade through knee-deep water on many thoroughfares during which many vehicles broke down as water entered the engines. The rain which started just after 8 p.m. continued past midnight.

Flooding was reported in Old Madras Road, Jogu Palya, Cambridge Layout, Bellary Road, Jayamahal Road, Mysore Road, Sanjanagar Main Road, Banashankari Ring Road, Dollars Colony, Lalbagh Road, Double Road and other busy roads.

Motorists had a tough time negotiating the water puddles near Hebbal flyover on Bellary Road, as many two-wheelers broke down while motorists tried to cross it.

Sources in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said that a bus stand in Talacauvery Layout in Vibuthipura, near HAL, was partially submerged owing to rain. In RPC Layout, a branch of a tree fell on a car near Aalada Mara (Peepal tree) bus stop. The side wall of a “rajakaluve” caved in and water entered houses in 3rd Main in Ramakrishnanagar. Complaints of flooding owing to choked drains were reported from Attur layout, Roopanagar and other places.

According to the Meteorology Department, the city received 31.2 mm of rain up to 11.30 p.m. while the HAL Airport received 33.5 mm of rain.

Houses inundated

Water entered several homes at Kanakanagar in Kumaraswamy Layout 2nd Stage. “We have been complaining about flooding in the area, but nothing has been done to mitigate the problem. Water has entered more than 150 houses in Kanakanagara, and all residents are waiting to drain the rainwater,” Balaji Singh, a resident told The Hindu. To make matters worse, a tractor carrying BBMP gangmen to Kanakanagara, broke down near Rajarajeshwari Nagar.

In Sahakaranagar G Block, water entered some houses. M.R. Srinivasa, a resident, said that rainwater had entered the houses since the layout was located in a low-lying area. Similar complaints were reported from R.R. Layout, Udayanagar and others places.

Power shutdown

Several areas also witnessed power shutdowns even as the city received heavy downpour. Some areas in the central business district, Nagawarapalya in C.V. Raman Nagar, Kamakshipalya, Sanjayanagar and Ullalu and several other areas went without power for a couple of hours.

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