A city of monsoon pools

A city of monsoon pools

It has been pouring woes at areas like Hennur Road in the city

By Bangalore Mirror Bureau
Posted On Friday, August 29, 2008

It’s not just potholes filled up with muddy water that Bangaloreans are wading through this rainy season. Now they have to pass over ‘swimming pools’ that have formed in many parts of the city. The condition of Byraveshwara Layout near Hennur Road was nothing better than a swimming pool as water entered almost all houses in the area, after rain lashed the city on Wednesday night.

Damage repair in the area was still continuing on Thursday evening as Palike officials and local politicians made repeated visits to the affected Layout. But it was a nightmarish experience for the residents of the area. “This year we are experiencing our worst misery due to floods. We are planning to stay over with our relatives till the monsoon season gets over,” said V Muniraju, a resident. In Nayandahalli, an area located next to Vrishabhavati valley along Mysore Road, rain has been lashing the residents for five days.

It is not just layouts next to drains that are being affected by floods. On Wednesday night, Vittal Mallya road and surrounding areas were submerged in knee-deep water and those with two-wheelers were put through a bad time. “The road in front of UB City and most parts of Lavelle Road resembled a pool. We want the government to introduce boats if they want us to commute through roads like these,” said an angry man on a two-wheeler.

A shocker was waiting for those driving towards the railway underbridge in Seshadripuram. The narrow bridge space was lying under water and one could see long queues of vehicles stuck on both sides of the bridge. The situation of the underbridge near Mount Carmel College was no different. Drainage near Byatarayanapura along Bellary Road ballooned and submerged the main road and the houses surrounding it. “Passengers moving to Devanahalli airport had to face inconvenience here as well as at the CBI junction where the Palike is working on the Magic box structure,” said a traffic cop. In Tatanagar, resident kept cursing the rains throughout the night as water-logging was a common scene in the area.