By admin Rains in Bengaluru: Residents of Kendriya Vihar Apartment in Yelahanka, Bengaluru never imagined in their dreams while buying flats that one day they would be rescued on tractor-trolleys from their beloved homes due to nature’s fury.
On Wednesday, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) deployed two tractors to rescue residents of Kendriya Vihar flat, which was flooded with almost three feet of water. The apartment located right next to Yelahanka Lake is inhabited mainly by retired central government employees.
The incessant rainfall led to severe flooding, causing hardship for residents as rainwater flooded the apartment. Vehicles parked at Kendriya Vihar were knee-deep in rainwater.
Not only in Yelahanka, roads in Varthur, Hebbal, Kadubeesanahalli and surrounding areas were left waterlogged, including technological junctions on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and Sarjapur. Trees in areas like Syndicate Bank Colony in Banashankari were also uprooted.
BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath, who visited the flooded apartment building, said the tractors help residents enter and exit the apartment building safely.
BBMP chief commissioner said the civic body is constructing a temporary drain on private land to facilitate water drainage. “We have set up a help desk and are providing drinking water, milk, bread and biscuits to the residents,” BBMP Chief Commissioner Girinath added.
It should be noted that between 50 and 60 mm of rain fell on the city on Tuesday between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., which resulted in the transformation of irrigation canals into stormwater drains. Recent construction on the outskirts of the city has narrowed drainage systems and made the situation worse.
Meanwhile, people in Bengaluru have started demanding a permanent solution to the problem.
Taking to microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter), scientist Sunil Kumar Uppala wrote, “We need a permanent solution on Balagere Road to have basic infrastructure. The children were taken away by tractors today. Lack of adequate sewage and adequate roads. Where does our tax money go? Demand immediate action from the authorities.”
On Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Bengaluru for Wednesday and said further heavy rainfall was expected in the city. The Karnataka government on Wednesday announced a holiday for all schools and colleges in Bengaluru as the city is expected to witness more heavy rains.