The heavens opened and the city shut down

September 25, 2010 03:37 pm | Updated 03:37 pm IST - Bangalore:

A bus struck in water under the Railway bridge at Sheshadripuram in Bangalore on 24th Septmber 2010. Photo: Bhagya Prakash K

A bus struck in water under the Railway bridge at Sheshadripuram in Bangalore on 24th Septmber 2010. Photo: Bhagya Prakash K

The heavy rain that lashed Bangalore for more than two hours on Friday evening caused havoc, threw life out of gear and caused untold hardship to people. Traffic jams, water entering homes, roads transforming into rivers, overflowing drains, and fallen trees held citizens hostage.

The rain that began at around 6.30 p.m. was heavy till around 9 p.m., after which its intensity decreased a bit. In a short span of two hours, the city received 106.8 mm of rain, according to the Meteorological Department.

Several homes in the low-lying areas of the city were flooded, including Vinobhanagar, Ejipura, Viveknagar, Domlur, Subbaiah Garden, Shanthinagar, Okalipuram, Rajajinagar and Audugodi. Rainwater entered the Gali Anjaneya Temple on Mysore Road, Ganesha Temple in Goripalya and Annamma Temple in Gandhinagar. According to Prasad, a priest in the Gali Anjaneya Temple, the sanctum sanctorum of the temple was flooded and they were forced to seek shelter in the office room of the temple on the first floor.

Ratnamma, a resident of Audugodi, said that her family would be forced to spend a sleepless night draining the rainwater that had entered their home.

Around 30 people were stuck in a bus at Shantinagar, near the BMTC workshop. They were unable to alight from the vehicle what with over half the bus submerged in the water after it broke down. Tension and fear gripped the commuters in the bus, who were stuck in it for over an hour. They were rescued by the personnel of the Fire and Emergency Services Department.

Meanwhile, a KSRTC bus was completely submerged on Subedar Chatram Road, near Kino Theatre. The fire services were immediately summoned for rescue operations and the people were rescued from the bus. Residents across the city were seen cursing the slow response of the civic authorities.

Tree falls were reported from Rajajinagar, Raj Bhavan Road and near Baldwin School on Richmond Road. A car and a tempo were damaged when a compound wall collapsed on the vehicles near Kempegowda Road. However, no casualty was reported.

Two boys, aged around 14 years, were reportedly missing in Kodigehalli. Sources said that they two had gone to tuition classes at around 5.30 p.m. and had not returned home. Their bicycles were found by their relatives near a shop on Sahakaranagara Main Road. Their relatives are looking for them in the nearby Sampigehalli, Amruthnagar and Kodigehalli.

Traffic hit

Bumper-to-bumper traffic was witnessed on Hosur Road, Bannerghatta Road, Okalipuram, R.T. Nagar, Bellandur Junction, Audugodi and other major roads. According to the traffic police, vehicular movement almost came to a standstill in the central parts of the city. Several vehicles, especially two-wheelers, broke down.

Mayor S.K. Nataraj and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Commissioner Siddaiah received complaints that poured into the control room at the BBMP. Mr. Siddaiah said that with most roads in the city flooded and traffic coming to a standstill, rescue operations were affected. “The BBMP's Prahari (emergency) teams are out on the field, clearing the flooding. All our officials are on high alert,” he said.

R. Ashok, city in-charge Minister, said that he would chair a meeting with the Mayor, Commissioner and other senior officials on Saturday. He claimed that the flooding problem had been tackled to a certain extent by the BBMP by taking action against encroachers of raja kaluves and storm-water drains.

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