Misery persists in Bangalore

Misery persists in Bangalore

The Hindu

Deve Gowda, Dharam Singh, Ministers visit affected areas; toll 13

# Two BMP employees die of suffocation while cleaning manholes
# People block Bangalore-Mysore Highway to protest water logging
# Life yet to return to normal in severely inundated areas
# BMP control rooms receive nearly 400 distress calls
# No improvement in traffic situation on Hosur Road

BANGALORE: Bangaloreans, who went through a deluge of problems for three days following torrential rain, heaved a sigh of relief on Wednesday as it did not rain till the night, although dark clouds hovered above.

Life is yet to return to normality in severely inundated areas. Four more persons were killed in rain-related incidents since Tuesday night, taking the toll to 13.

It was life almost as usual in the morning as people did not find it difficult to reach their workplaces. As the Government declared a holiday for educational institutions on Wednesday and Thursday, the roads were free from school and college buses and autorickshaws carrying students. But residents of the still-marooned Puttenahalli, J.P. Nagar, Bannerghatta Road, Bommanahalli, Hennur, Hebbal, Madivala, Ejipura, Thanisandra, Rajarajeshwarinagar had to go through the ordeal even on Wednesday, as the Madivala, Begur, Puttenahalli, Nayandahalli, Nagavara, Hebbal and Lalbagh lakes continued to overflow.

Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) control rooms received nearly 400 distress calls. Most of the complaints related to water-logging and clogged drains.

Traffic situation

There was no improvement in the traffic situation on the busy Hosur Road. Vehicular movement on the Bangalore-Mysore Highway was affected for more than three hours as around 500 people blocked it near the Rajarajeshwarinagar arch to protest against water-logging in the surrounding areas.

Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh, his ministerial colleagues, and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, visited the affected areas and met people.