By BOOM Team
Bengaluru continued to reels under the flood situation on Tuesday as several areas continued to be water logged. While Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai announced measures to tackle the situation that has affected regular life in the city, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rainfall in the region till September 9.
Transportation within the city, schools and businesses were affected because of the waterlogging that made it difficult for citizens to go about their daily lives. Water supply problems and power cuts were reported as well.
Here's a look at how life was affected because of the Bengaluru rains:
Will it continue to rain in Bengaluru?
While heavy rains caused massive water-logging across the city, the IMD has predicted that Bengaluru may receive more rainfall in the coming days. LiveMint reported the IMD as saying that Tuesday will remain cloudy with light to moderate rain. There could also be heavy thundershowers in some parts.
The situation will remain similar for the next few days, with light to moderate rain forecasts till September 9.
What steps has the government taken?
The state government announced a drive to clear encroachments on rainwater drains across the city and has identified several areas that need attention. Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) commissioner Tushar Girinath said on Monday that the BBMP plans to clear over 500 such encroachments.
The New Indian Express quoted Girinath as saying that the BBMP had already started clearing drain encroachments at around 40 places. He said that eight locations in Mahadevapura, 24 areas of East, and nine areas of Bommanahalli zones were flooded because of the rainfall.
The newspaper reported that the BBMP will provide relief of Rs 10,000 to people who had suffered losses.
The government announced that it was setting aside funds to solve the drainage situation in the city. Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai was quoted by ANI as saying, "We have given Rs 1500 crore for draining of water in Bengaluru while another Rs 300 cr has been given to remove encroachments. We'll ensure that in future there's no impediment to the flow of water."
Bommai said that the dire situation that brought the city to halt was caused by unprecedented rains.
Why was drinking water supply disrupted?
The drinking water supply to some areas of Bengaluru was disrupted because of flooding in two pumping stations in the Mandya district, adding to the issues faced by Bengaluru citizens. Bommai told ANI on Tuesday morning that water had receded from one of the affected pumphouses and that the supply will be restored soon. "Other pumphouse will be cleared by today afternoon. Meanwhile, water will be provided through tankers and borewells," Bommai told ANI.
Flights, transport affected
The waterlogging also meant that officegoers and commuters were affected. Bengaluru is home to a large share of offices in India's IT sector. Several Twitter handles run by the Bengaluru traffic police tweeted updates on Tuesday morning asking commuters to avoid certain roads.
The official Twitter account of HSR Layout Traffic Police said that the road near Eco Space was still flooded and only heavy vehicles could pass and asked citizens to avoid ORR.
Meanwhile, the Twitter handle of the Whitefield Traffic Police said that the water logging neart Belathur had been cleared.
The News Minutesreported that boats had to be deployed in certain Bengaluru suburbs to rescue people.
Monday saw several flight affected at the Kempegowda International Airport. The Hindu reported that the airport received 109 mm of rainfall between 11:30 pm and 4:00 am. The newspaper quoted the airport spokesperson as saying that six flights were diverted to the Chennai airport, multiple international flights and three domestic flights being delayed.
Why did some areas face power cuts?
Power supply to several part of the city was also affected as the electrical infrastructure of the city was damaged because of the flooding. Electricity poles broke, power stations were flooded and some transformers were affected too.
The Hindu quoted the general manager of customer relations at the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company as saying, "Our station in Kadubeesanahalli has been severely flooded as there was an overflow from the BWSSB sewage plant next to it. The station was turned off since 4 am and electricity supply was affected in the nearby areas."
Some areas saw the power supply restored by Monday evening.
