BENGALURU: Sunday afternoon’s downpour not only stranded people on the roads, but also held them hostage in their homes. Residents of Mahalakshmi Layout in Marapannapalya complained that water gushed into 15-20 houses in the area. They said it was completely unexpected as roads in the area were recently tarred and BBMP officials had claimed to have desilted the drains.
“Every time it rains, we are worried about what will happen to us. There is no safety at all,” said a resident of the area. Those living in other low-lying areas were similarly trapped. While water did not enter all homes, vehicles were stuck in the floodwaters. Commuters from most parts of the city complained that they had to struggle through water-logged roads to reach their destination.
BBMP officials reached Mahalakshmi Layout to clear water from flooded houses. However, citizens complained that they arrived after the rain reduced, and they had cleared it themselves. The BBMP used pump sets to do the same.
The BBMP Control Room received more than 70 distress calls. Over 50 calls were about fallen trees and branches blocking roads and causing traffic jams, and in some cases, had come down on houses. Wall collapse incidents were also reported, including one in Malleswaram, near Govt Girls’ School and PU College.
Most complaints were received from West Zone (46) and were largely about fallen trees blocking roads. A BMTC bus narrowly escaped a mishap when a tree fell on JC Road, near Vijayanagar. There were 19 calls from East Zone complaining about water logging. BBMP Special Commissioners took timely updates of the rainfall, and assembled teams to clear the roads.
A complaint was registered in Rajajinagar where a metal sheet flew into a tree, damaging its branches and posing a risk of falling. Officials rushed to the spot to clear the road. BBMP coordinated with other departments through WhatsApp groups for quick action. Residents also complained of power cuts. Bescom officials said due to the weather situation and complaints of tree branches falling on poles and lines, power snapped in some places. Work to restore the power supply started soon after the rain receded.
Flights diverted due to downpour
Heavy rains that lashed Bengaluru airport since Sunday noon forced the diversion of five flights. Three IndiGo flights and one Air Asia flight were diverted to Chennai, while one Star Air flight was diverted to Hyderabad, said a spokesperson of airport operator, Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL). According to an Indigo spokesperson, a flight from Chennai which took off at 2.12 pm was reverted midway due to poor weather in Bengaluru. Flights headed to Bengaluru from Kolkata, which departed at 12.59 pm, and Pune, which departed at 1.57 pm, were rerouted to Chennai. Star Air flight from Kalaburagi scheduled to reach Terminal 2 was diverted to Hyderabad, said an airline source. Air Asia spokesperson said a flight from Chennai also had to be sent back.
