Traffic gridlock amidst downpour

Traffic gridlock amidst downpour
DH News Service, Bangalore:
Traffic literally crawled in central business districts of the city as St Mary’s feast celebrations reached a crescendo on Monday. Vehicles took more than an hour to reach Balekundri circle from Gopalagowda circle, merely a kilometre apart.

Precautionary measures such as deployment hundreds of policemen, scores of diversions, shifting of bus-stands could not help traffic gridlock as the rains that lashed the area in the evening didn’t dampen religious fervour. Vehicular movement came to a standstill at most of the major intersections - Manipal Centre junction, BRV junction, CTO circle, Police Thimmaiah circle, Anil Kumble junction, Shivajinagar-Infantry Road, M K street, OPH Road, Commercial Street surroundings, Broadway Road, Bamboo Bazaar Road and Queen’s Circle.

The evening showers failed to bring any respite to the travelling public. Though each circle was manned by more than eight traffic constables, vehicular movement was hampered as the sea of humanity which thronged Shivajinagar Basilica started dispersing at once.


Downpour likely
City is expected to witness rain spells for the next three to four days. The rainfall received on Monday was moderate, below 1 cm, according to the Mererological Department. The monsoon in Karnataka has revived after a break. A regular type of rainfall has been occurring due to active monsoon condition, explained Director, Meteorological Department, A Muthuchami.

A feeble low pressure area has formed over West Central Bay of South Orissa and North Andhra Pradesh Coast due to which monsoon has become active in Karnataka. So far there were calm winds and now the wind speed as well as the pressure gradient has increased, causing increase in rainfall.

For the next two days, the monsoons will be very active over coastal Karnataka and the ghat region which may experience very heavy to heavy rainfall. Bangalore will get spells of rains from the West.