'We need the CM more than god does'

Two days of continuous and heavy rain, and the city was in shambles.

Over 30 large trees were uprooted, nearly 80 homes damaged and several low-lying areas flooded. Traffic wound its way past puddles, as roads in many parts were dug up. Even as work was under progress at several locations, heavy rain made large stretches of road no more than a squishy mess.

Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda visited the Gali Anjaneya Temple on Mysore Road and Arundhati Nagar in Chandra Layout on Wednesday, to ascertain the extent of damage.

This is not the first time that the Gali Anjaneya Temple was flooded. Even though civic authorities assured residents that such flooding would not occur again, and all help would be provided to those whose homes were damaged, their assurances did not wash.

Gowda, who earlier visited Chamundi Hill in Mysore to perform puja to Goddess Chamundeswari, returned to the city by afternoon. As he visited flood-affected spots in the city, he was joined by home minister R Ashoka and city mayor Sharadamma. Deputy mayor S Harish, BBMP commissioner Siddaiah and officers of the Palike were also part of the entourage.

At Gali Anjaneya Temple, the chief minister instructed officials to consider how the flooding over of the temple could be dealt with, over the long term.

This spot in the city is prone to flooding. “Even though we suffer and need our leaders, the chief minister chooses to visit temples instead,” said one angry resident of Kalasipalya, where floods left many homes damaged. “We need the chief minister a little more than God does,” he said.

Gowda offered Rs10,000 each to Rafiq Ahmad and Neelamma, residents of Bapujinagar, whose homes were damaged in the heavy rain on Tuesday. He later stopped at Arundhati Nagar, Chandra Layout. The whole area is low-lying, and rainwater often finds its way right into people’s houses.

Residents complained that the spell of rain on Monday and Tuesday had left their homes flooded, and that they had suffered enormous losses. They said that the area is low-lying, and each year, on days of heavy rain, the whole locality is water-logged and people are forced to seek shelter on higher ground until flood water recedes.

Water supply and drainage are severely affected by the flooding. With the water entering the homes, they have no dry ground to rest on and even cooking food has become arduous.

After inspecting the damage caused by rain, Gowda said that civic authorities would find a permanent solution to repeated flooding in some parts of the city, within three months.