BENGALURU: Bengaluru’s image of a smart city seems to have gone underwater. Unrelenting rain for the past few days, especially on Friday, has unleashed deluge and devastation, bringing the famed IT city to its knees and exposing the chinks in the civic armour.
And there seems to be noting smart about rain-preparedness, say residents.Bringing more gloom to an already gloomy scenario is the weatherman’s prediction of more rain for the next three days across most parts of the state, including Bengaluru, Mandya and Tumakuru.
“We are left with nothing, all our clothes and food items have been washed away. We have nothing left to wear or to eat, what can the government do for us now? They should have taken all precautions earlier and stalled constructions initially when they got to know these are illegal layouts,” said an agitated Gowramma, resident of Dattareya Layout, drying her leftover items and looking for food for her children. The residents of the Layout echo Gowramma. On Saturday, while some were busy drying their essentials and electronic items in the sun, others were looking at the sky, praying that there is no more rain and Friday’s havoc does not repeat.
Same was the plight of the residents of Kumaraswamy Layout, where water had gushed into houses forcing people to look for safer places.
“The heavy rainfall of Friday night brought back memories when most parts of the areas were submerged after the Vrishabhavathi Valley overflowed and a portion of the retaining wall had collapsed. “We are keeping a close watch on the water level of V-valley and have decided not to venture out,” said Mohan R, a resident of Kengeri.
Many roads have turned into sheets of water, and in many places, potholes made a comeback. In some areas, the newly laid roads have also given way, making matters worse for commuters on Saturday. In many places, the dividers of the roads have collapsed and the traffic police have erected barricades near the debris cautioning commuters. The government agencies and private vehicle service stations were also busy clearing stranded vehicles on roads to make commuting easy.
In areas where BBMP has drained out the rainwater, the pourakarmikas and gangmen have been pressed to clean out all garbage and construction debris. Health workers have also been assigned the task of fogging, sprinkling disinfectants and bleaching powder so that health problems are not reported.
BBMP Administrator Gaurav Gupta said makeshift relief camps have been set up but citizens were not keen to shift there. On Friday night, those who stayed in the ground floor, had shifted to the higher floors and came back when the water level receded. Even now they have been told that camps have been set up, but they have refused to move, he said.