Bengaluru, Oct 15 (IANS): Heavy rains wreaked havoc in IT city Bengaluru on Tuesday leaving the famous Manyata Tech Park and low-lying areas inundated.
The Bengaluru Urban District Commissioner has released an order directing all schools and colleges will remain closed on Wednesday as heavy rains are predicted to avoid any untoward incidents.
Many private schools have decided to close the schools on Thursday as well.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who is in charge of Bengaluru Urban district, visited the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) control room and instructed the officials to be alert on a 24-hour basis.
"Bengaluru has received an unexpected rainfall of 65 mm. As there is a possibility of rain over the next three days, the BBMP control room and officials must remain operational 24 hours a day," said Shivakumar.
The vehicle riders and car drivers got stuck in traffic jams for hours and arterial roads were water logged. The premises of Manyata Tech Park housing a large number of software companies and apartments got inundated causing severe inconvenience to techies. The authorities had to struggle for three to four hours to clear the waterlogging.
Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy slammed the Congress government for the situation.
"Bengaluru's rain fury has exposed the utter collapse of infrastructure! The so-called 'Silicon Valley of India' is now drowning in its own negligence. The IT corridor is flooded, roads are impassable, and the city is sinking," he stated.
"This isn't just rain, it's the failure of governance. Congress' weak policies have ruined Brand Bengaluru. Potential investors are backing off, questioning how a 'global tech hub' can't handle basic urban management. Wake up! The city's future is at stake," charged Kumaraswamy.
Dy CM Shivakumar stated, "The weather report indicates that due to a drop in atmospheric pressure over the Bay of Bengal, unexpected rain will continue for the next four days. In light of this, we have taken precautions, including announcing holidays for schools," he said.
"Typically, Bengaluru receives an average of 5 mm of rain, but today the rainfall has increased by 228 per cent. Complaints have been received regarding water entering homes in 142 locations due to the rain on Tuesday. Thirty trees have fallen, and we have cleared them in 22 locations. In 32 locations, tree branches have fallen, obstructing traffic, with 27 of these cleared immediately," Shivakumar informed.
"For any issues faced due to rain within the BBMP jurisdiction, residents can call the toll-free helpline 1533. Area-specific helplines have also been released. Due to the unexpected rain, I am personally visiting the BBMP control room to monitor the situation," he said.