Pump Water, Clear Silt: Bengaluru Makeover Ahead Of Chief Minister's Visit

Heavy rainfall in Bengaluru over the weekend brought the Silicon Valley of India to a standstill. Severe waterlogging and flooding in many low-lying areas left vehicles stranded, leading to vehicles queuing up. Several tree branches also off. Sai Layout in the city continues to resemble an island, as there is no way for water to escape. However, ahead of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's visit to Sai Layout, efforts have been ramped up to clear silt and fill potholes.

The water had accumulated up to three to four feet in the Sai Layout region. While the water has predominantly receded, it remains stagnant on the streets. Efforts are to pump out the remaining water and remove silt and debris from the road and nearby drains.

However, residents know that this is not a permanent solution to the recurring problem. A big spell of rain will once again expose the reality of the city, especially in this region. The residents of Sai Layout and other low-lying areas seek a permanent solution.

Over the past few days, they witnessed damage to their furniture, electrical appliances and property. While some people moved to hotels and their relatives, many stayed back because of a lack of options.

In many houses, the ground floor was half-submerged, and people were unable to come out. About 150 people were rescued and shifted to safe locations on Monday, authorities said, as reported by the news agency PTI.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has called it a "big learning" for the administration. During a visit to an affected area, Mr Shivakumar said, "Many people have built homes near lakes and in low-lying areas. This has been a big learning experience for us. I have told my officers that in the future, no one should be allowed to build a basement in such areas. Instead, let them build from the ground floor and above. They can create car parking on the ground floor."

Mr Shivakumar said that the matter will be discussed, and he will "bring a law in this regard."

While there has been no episode of heavy rainfall in Bengaluru for about 24 hours now, an orange alert is in place, especially in coastal Karnataka and parts of Bidar.

5 Dead In Bengaluru Rain

Visuals from parts of Bengaluru showed the intensity of damage due to heavy downpour. People were seen wading through knee-deep water.

The affected districts include Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Tumakuru, Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan, Kodagu, Belagavi, Bidar, Raichur, Yadgir, Davanagere, and Chitradurga. Sai Layout and the Horamavu locality were among the worst-affected areas.

The rain took five lives in the city. Two people - Manmohan Kamath (63) and Dinesh (12) - were electrocuted while trying to drain rainwater that had entered an apartment in the city, police said on Tuesday.

According to Mico Layout Police, Mr Kamath, a resident of Madhuvan Apartment in NS Palya near BTM 2nd Stage, had tried to use a motorised pump to clear water out of his house on Monday evening.

"When he connected the pump to a socket, there was a short circuit, leading to his electrocution," a police officer involved in the investigation said.

Sasikala, 35, died when a compound wall fell on her while she was sweeping at a company within the limits of Mahadevapura Police Station.

Two others died of lightning in Raichur and Karwar, officials said.