For the past three days, residents of Vars Regency in Kaggadasapura have been spending sleepless nights. First, the basement of the building was inundated with water up to a depth of 8 feet, damaging all the vehicles there. Over 25 cars parked in the basement had been damaged, most of which cannot be repaired.
Soon after, the power panels got wet and electricity supply was cut off as a safety measure. Akhilesh Balasubramanian, a resident, told The Hindu that the basement had been flooded twice in as many weeks. To make matters worse, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials, he claimed, did little to help. However, another agency stepped up: Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (Bescom). “Bescom officials have been very helpful even though power supply could not be restored until the panels had completely dried,” he said.
With rainwater gushing in from the main gate, residents have now constructed a wall to prevent their basements from getting inundated again. “We have parked two-wheelers on the road and are using the smaller gates to enter and exit the property,” said Mr. Balasubramanian.
Wednesday’s spate of rainfall saw roads getting inundated and traffic coming to a near standstill in low-lying areas. However, personnel manning the control rooms at the BBMP told The Hindu that even by 6 p.m., they had not received any rain-related complaints.
More rain expected
Meanwhile, more rains are expected to lash the city over the next four days. Bengaluru receives an average rainfall of 211 mm in September. However, in the first six days, the city has seen rains measuring 200 mm. Over the past 24 hours, 1.5 cm rains lashed the city. Weathermen state that Bengaluru is likely to cross the monthly average this year.
During the monsoon months of June, July, August and September, the city receives an average 580 mm rains. This year, the city has already received 638 mm, with 355 mm received in August.
The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre has forecast heavy rains in many parts of south Bengaluru.
Precautionary measures
The BBMP has issued an advisory to citizens to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, such as leptospirosis, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis. Citizens have been asked to drink boiled and cooled water, consume fresh food, keep food items covered, wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them, wash their hands and feet with soap and cleaning water tanks every fortnight.
