Bangalore still reeling as waters recede

After torrential rain lashed the city on Friday, citizens are still in a state of shock. On every street and in every corner of the city, there is only one word on people’s lips, and it’s “rain”.

On Sheshadripuram Road, one of the worst-hit areas during the flooding, there is a large crater on the culvert near Kino Theatre. The road near the footpath had also collapsed, inviting danger.

“BBMP commissioner Siddaiah had said residents should be careful while walking near the compound wall during rain as it may collapse. A few days ago, a tree fell on an auto driver and killed him. Due to Friday's rain, the road has caved in. Now, if we have any emergency work on a rainy day, where should we walk?

The city is becoming very dangerous,” said S Sharath, a college student. The BBMP control room received 115 calls on Friday night. Mayor SK Nataraj also took down complaints in the control room. The BBMP said three compound wall collapsed, 26 trees were uprooted and it got 187 complaints regarding flooding.

“These are the complaints received, but the impact of the rain was much more,” said one municipal officer.

Near the Bangalore Hockey Stadium in Shantinagar, an underground parking lot belonging to Green Field Apartments, Rhenius Street, was inundated. The BBMP was pumping rainwater out of the basement on Saturday.

“There is a rainwater drain near the apartment, which was blocked. The water has entered the apartments,” said a resident.
There were disastrous scenes at the KSRTC regional workshop and BMTC Central office at the BTS Bus Depot Road near Shantinagar. The road that leads to the KSRTC Quarters was filled with garbage. On the other side of the road, the stormwater drains had overflowed and the water submerged the depot.

“Around 40 workers were working through the night in the workshop when the rain began. Within a few minutes, the entire workshop was filled with water. We had no place to go and were stuck in the depot for the entire night,” said a worker.
“Every year, the stormwater drains overflow and water enters the depot. The road is completely submerged. The water flows into the nearby KSRTC residential quarters,” said a worker.

A local resident, Gayatri, narrated her horrifying story. “We have been staying in this house for the past 26 years. Whenever it rains, the water gushes in due to the building being in a low-lying area and next to a stormwater drain. Garbage also enters the house along with the rainwater. In order to prevent water entering the house, we have built a retaining wall at the entrance. Whenever we go out, we have to jump the wall. The elderly use chairs to climb up the wall. This is our condition. No officer has come to see our house till date,” she said.