Downpour compounds Bangalore misery

Downpour compounds Bangalore misery

The Pioneer

After a day's break, the waterlogged Bangalore city on Thursday came under another spell of rain that threw life out of gear.With weathermen predicting more rains in the next 24 hours, the Karnataka Government extended closure of schools by two more days.

Low-lying areas, especially Hosur Road leading to Electronic City and the adjoining areas, continued to remain flooded, making it difficult for people to commute to workplaces.

The State Government has sought Rs 500 crore relief from the Central Government and urged the deputation a Central team to assess the damage.

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda continued his visit to flood-affected areas in the city for the second consecutive day. On the second day of the Bangalore IT.in, the annual IT fair, there were hardly any visitor to the stalls set up by IT biggies.

With thousands of people displaced from their homes owing to flooding, the Bangalore City Corporation authorities set up rehabilitation centres to house and feed the rain-hit people.

The feared epidemic of gastroenteritis has broken out in Bangalore following contamination of drinking water, shooting up admissions in the Isolation Hospital. Power supply to several parts of the city was affected and telephone lines were down.

The unprecedented floods have prompted the State Government to study the large-scale violation of building by-laws in the city.

Town planners believe that poor drainage system, coupled with encroachments on tank beds to build houses, was the main cause for massive flooding. Rain water, which used to flow into the lakes, have nowhere to go, but flood the low-lying areas.

According to experts, the number of lakes has come down to 64 in Bangalore from 400 lakes a few decades ago. The experts believe that the only solution to the problem of waterlogging was to remodel the drainage system.