Heavy Rain Turns Bengaluru Roads Into Rivulets, Flood Alert Sounded In Many Areas

Torrential rain in Bengaluru on Friday hit normal life, disrupting traffic at various areas like Mysuru Road, Hosur Road, BG road, Basavanagudi, including several others. Local residents recorded videos of the heavy downpour, showing vehicles floating in the flooded streets.

The city received 13.2mm rain in three hours, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD). 

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Saturday instructed the city civic body to stay alert as the Met department predicted heavy rain for two more days.

The direction comes a day after several parts of city, especially south Bengaluru region bore the brunt of heavy rain as storm water drains overflowed, roads turned into rivulets and many houses were inundated.

"The chief minister had called the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP-city civic body) commissioner Manjunath Prasad and directed him to visit the areas that were flooded. He also asked the commissioner to maintain alertness with the Met department predicting heavy rains today and tomorrow also," the CMO said in a statement.

Yediyurappa, who is also in-charge of Bengaluru-related affairs, has convened a meeting with BBMP officials later in the day to assess the situation and measures being taken by the civic body.

Many parts of the city were waterlogged such as Hosakerehalli, Nayandahalli, Basavanagudi, Bommanahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar and surrounding places.

Gurudatta Layout and Dattatreya Nagar, near Hosakerehalli, some areas near Rajarajeshwari Nagar were the worst affected as many houses in the locality were flooded.

Gushing waters even swept away some vehicles in the locality.

According to officials, several wards recorded more than 100 mm rainfall yesterday.

With no rain this morning and water receding in the flooded areas, civic workers are carrying out the cleaning activities.

Revenue minister R. Ashoka, who visited the affected areas, said he will speak to the chief minister regarding providing relief to those affected, and officials have been directed to carry out the survey .

Ashoka, who is also MLA from the city, said, "last night itself NDRF team was called in, which rescued three people, water and food arrangements have been made for those in need."

As the work on a large storm water drain related to Bengaluru South region is underway, it resulted in flooding, he added.

(With PTI inputs)