Bengaluru: India’s technology hub of Bengaluru was gearing up for more heavy rain after a brief respite from severe flooding, as authorities stepped up efforts to evacuate people and pump water out of inundated areas.
India’s “Silicon Valley” is facing an unusually wet monsoon, which has brought 162% more rainfall than average since June 1.
Floods after two days of incessant rain this week brought chaos and killed at least one person.
While flooded roads had cleared in the worst hit areas early on Wednesday, the situation was likely to turn grim again with heavy rain expected later.
“We have issued a red alert for the region. Some pockets may get more than 20 mm of rainfall in an hour,” a senior India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.
The Bangalore Urban district on Tuesday received 43.1 mm of rain, 585% more than average, according to IMD data.
E-commerce delivery firm Dunzo said it had stopped deliveries in flooded areas and was using trucks to deliver essentials where it could.
The chaos over the past few days has raised questions over poor urban planning as the fast-growing city expanded over the years, and on climate change, which has also been blamed for disastrous floods in neighbouring Pakistan.
The city administration has identified more than 50 areas in Bengaluru that have been encroached upon by high-end villas and apartments.
“Infrastructure continues to be a problem and who do we hold accountable for this situation - the builders who did not account for all of these problems, or the city administration, given the poor lake connectivity and sewage system?” said Garima Sehra, a resident forced to leave her home on Tuesday when her housing complex was flooded.
“We don’t think we can go back for at least a week.”
CM Bommai seeks fair relief from Centre
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday stated that the Karnataka government has prepared a rain damage estimate and urged the Central government to release a fair compensation.
He held a meeting with the central team led by Joint Secretary, Union Home Ministry Ashish Kumar, which arrived here this morning to study the flood situation.
The team was asked to take a stock of flood situation in Bengaluru city, neighbouring Mandya and Ramanagar districts.
CM Bommai also provided inputs on the extensive damage caused due to floods in July, August and the current month. The team members were also briefed on relief measures taken up by the state government.
23-year-old electrocuted
Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (Bescom), the government body which is in-charge of the distribution of electricity in the capital city, has washed its hands off an incident involving the death of the 23-year-old young working woman during the floods, sources said on Wednesday.
According to the sources, Bescom has put the entire blame on G.S. Media Advertisement Agency and stated in its report that the negligence by the advertiser is the sole reason for the electrocution, and that the company must pay the compensation.
The public was outraged in Bengaluru over the death of Akhila, a B.Com graduate, who was electrocuted while returning home late Monday night. She was on a bike and moving through the inundated stretch of road within the limits of Whitefield police station.
Akhila worked in a private school and was imbalanced while moving on the two-wheeler. She grabbed an electrical pole by the roadside. The electrical cables, which had come out of the pole, caused the electrocution and she succumbed to injuries.
The people have questioned the negligence of Bescom in this regard. The report has been submitted regarding the tragedy to the Managing Director of Bescom. The report says “Bescom is not responsible for the death of a young working woman in the incident of electrocution.
“G.S. Media company should provide compensation to the victim’s family and there is no provision for Bescom to provide compensation in this case in any manner.
“During the time of inspection, an assistant engineer attached to Bescom reported that the cable attached to the advertisement board was skinned out and the woman became the victim of electrocution due to this reason.
“Bescom only has power and jurisdiction to supply electricity. The wiring system should be managed by the respective companies who put up advertisement boards. Hence, G.S. Media Company if would have handled the wiring system appropriately, this tragedy would not have taken place,” the report says.
However, the public has been in panic after the incident as thousands of electric poles have come under water in the flooded areas. And the people were forced to commute amid inundated roads.
