Downpour drenches Bangalore city

TNN

BANGALORE, 25 September 2010: With the clouds opening up on Friday night, there was a sharp dip in temperature. The sudden downpour was the highest in 10 years in September in just one day. According to the Met department, average rain for the month is 195mm. "However, we received more than 106mm from 8pm to 8.30pm on Friday," officials said. Bangalore normally receives 190mm rainfall in September, but this year, the city received just 65 mm till Thursday.

 

The rain led to traffic snarls, water-logging, flooded roads and homes, and other problems. Cambridge Layout was one among the many places which went under. "All roads are flooded and there is bumper-to-bumper traffic even on inner roads. Commuters are stuck. If it continues raining, the situation will get worse," said Dr Ajith Benedict, a resident of Cambridge Layout.

 

Naturally, citizens could not get through to the control rooms to air their woes. "There is water gushing into our houses, but none of the control room numbers is accessible. Who do we complain to?" asked Abhishek K R, an angry resident from Sultanpalya.

 

File picture of rain at Infantry road, Bangalore

 

MLA N A Haris’ house in Shanthinagar was inundated. Flooding was reported in Sultanpet, Nanjappa Circle, Kuvempu Nagar, JP Nagar, Ulsoor, Chalukya Circle, Vinobha Nagar and JJ Nagar, where a mixture of water and drainage muck gushed into houses. Residents of Lavelle Road, Journalists’ Colony, Nanjappa Circle, JP Nagar and Goripalya, too, experienced the same.

 

Two temples — Gali Anjaneya temple on Mysore Road and Ganesha temple in Goripalya — were submerged.

 

BUSES UNDER BRIDGE

Two KSRTC buses were stuck under a bridge near Kino theatre. Trees fell near Baldwin’s School on Richmond Road. The sudden showers led to traffic going haywire and a jam on Hosur Road, Bannerghatta Road, Okalipuram, RT Nagar, Bellandur Junction, Audugodi and other major roads.

 

POWER DISRUPTIONS

Many areas were plunged into darkness. Complaints of power disruptions were reported from Madiwala, Ejipura, Ganganagar, Narayanapura, Jeevan Bima Nagar, Rajajinagar, Defence Colony, Viveknagar, Kodigehalli, Vidyaranyapura and Nelamangala. A pole collapsed on MG Road, blocking commuters.

 

TRAFFIC JAMS GALORE

The hour-long downpour caused heavy traffic jams across the city, with water-logging on all major roads. In many areas, drainage water was flowing on the roads. "Forget driving in this rain, I cannot even take my vehicle out of the parking lot, where water is four feet deep," said Sneha Rathod who was stuck in the rain. There was a tree-fall near Raj Bhavan and traffic was diverted.