Bengaluru rains: Boats, tractors used to ferry students and office goers

Torrential rains overnight brought the capital city of Bengaluru to its knees on Monday as several areas were inundated, and water-logging on roads including arterial ones hit traffic flow while boats and tractors were pressed into service in certain parts.

With several lakes in the city overflowing and stormwater drains flooded, several low-lying areas bore the brunt, with water entering houses and affecting normal life. Water-logging in localities like Rainbow Drive layout and Sunny Brooks Layout on Sarjapur Road among others were to such extent that tractors and boats were used to ferry students and office goers in the morning.

There are reports of several areas on Outer Ring Road that houses some of the IT companies being affected by rains and flooding.

”There have been heavy rains in Bengaluru, I have spoken to the Commissioner (BBMP) and other officials. I have asked officials to depute two State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) teams to Mahdevapura and Bommanahalli zones in the city that have been worst affected, with boats and other equipment..also engineers are there,” Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, he has instructed officials to see to it that water is drained out from the inundated roads at the earliest.

”There is a plan on how to create a temporary drain and how to go about it (drain out water), it will be operationalised today,” he added.

Noting that due to heavy rains on Sunday, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s (BWSSB) unit that manages Cauvery water supply to city at T K Halli has been flooded and has caused damage to machinery there, Bommai said, he will be visiting there to inspect the spot.

”Already BWSSB chairman, engineers, Urban Development Secretary and other officials are there, work on draining out water is underway…probably by afternoon or evening things will be under control. All technical and emergency works are underway,” he added.

However, BWSSB has warned of water supply disruption in several areas of Bengaluru on Monday and Tuesday.