BENGALURU: Torrential overnight rains left India's IT capital struggling on Monday as inundation and water-logging threw life out of gear,leading to a public outpour of anger against alleged misgovernance and the powers that be.
As the rains brought Bengaluru, capital city of the poll-bound Karnataka to its knees on Monday coupled with traffic woes, the average Bengalurean had a tough time negotiating the flooded roads and reach their respective destinations.
Even the airport was not spared.
Many people took to Twitter to air their grievances, with a short video showing air passengers wading through ankle-deep water in what seemed to be the city airport's entrance.
Sights of traffic snarls, inundation, and stranded citizens painted a stark picture of the southern city known as the country's IT hub, even as inflatable boats and tractors were deployed to move people, especially the morning office-goers and school students.
IT industry veteran Mohan Das Pai uploaded a video on Twitter, titled "Pls see in Bengaluru," that showed a man dressed up as Lord Ganesh and wading through near knee-deep water, even as vehicular traffic was seen crawling in the background.
Cars and buses were submerged in stagnant water elsewhere.
One Twitter user said he was stuck for five hours at Outer Ring Road (ORR).
Several lakes in the city were overflowing and stormwater drains were flooded, affecting the low-lying areas where water entered houses.
While a twitter user blamed "massive deforestation" and road heights going up "illegally" with "illegal" high rises, another said the only solution is to reclaim all lakes and remove encroachments.
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.
Outer Ring Road, that houses some of the IT companies, suffered water logging and traffic pile up, with a video showing people stranded.
A city resident rued the "plight" of ORR. "Govt. will do nothing - till IT companies move out of Bengaluru. Till their revenue gets a hit," an angry citizen said.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said he has instructed officials to see to it that water is drained out from the inundated roads at the earliest.
"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," Bommai told reporters.
"There is a plan on how to create a temporary drain and how to go about it (drain out water), it will be operationalised," he added.
Noting that due to heavy rains, 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 for an inspection.
"Already BWSSB chairman, engineers, Urban Development Secretary and other officials are there, work on draining out water is underway. 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.