Rain vindicates BCIC view on infrastructure

Rain vindicates BCIC view on infrastructure
Bangalore's fragile infrastructure stands exposed, as rain floods the city
Cybermedia News

BANGALORE: Bangalore IT.in made a rather damp beginning today, even as the Met Department forecast more rain in the next 48 hours.

In what was a grim reminder of the Mumbai deluge three months back, Bangalore, the self-professed 'IT capital of India,' received a 50-year high of 52.5 cm on Tuesday, showing its infrastructure bare.

Incidentally, the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) had earlier even threatened to boycott the IT.in, citing the inadequate infrastructure this Garden City has been offering.

The torrential downpour, subsequent to a low pressure formation over southwest Bay of Bengal and the adjoining areas of Tamil Nadu, on Tuesday threw many IT companies in the city out of gear.

Most companies in Electronic City on Hosur Road such as Infosys, Wipro and Sasken let their employees leave early to avoid their being caught in heavy traffic. However, those left early were greeted by traffic snarls and submerged roads at many places.

Many arterial roads and the Silk Board Junction close to the Electronic City flyover resembled small rivers.

The Wipro and HTMT offices in Electronic City were inundated and many employees are today working from other company locations.

The timing of BangaloreIT.in could not have come at a worse time with organizers and participants struggling to cope under the downpour. Bangalore has recorded the most rain for October this month, the previous one being in 1956 when it received 52.2 cm of rains.

The confusion, chaos and destruction that prevailed in Bangalore this year seemed to vindicate the IT industry's outcry against the crumbling infrastructure, which is now reaching crisis proportions.