Bengaluru, Oct 22 (PTI) Five people were killed in rain-related incidents in Bengaluru, which has been reeling under incessant rains for the past three days, bringing several residential areas and roads under knee-deep water.
Five teams of the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force were deployed to evacuate marooned people with the help of coracles in the country's IT capital on Tuesday.
North Bengaluru bore the brunt of the rains as several areas were flooded in and around Yelahanka.
According to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Yelahanka received 157 mm (six inches) rain in just six hours from Tuesday midnight to Tuesday 6 am.
Kendriya Vihar in Yelahanka resembled a river with waist-deep water. The rescue workers rescued people using a coracle.
Due to the waterlogging, normal life was thrown out of gear in Northern Bengaluru. People preferred staying indoors, while many passengers missed their flights, trains and buses. Children were not able to go to schools in areas that were flooded.
Many houses in low-lying areas and near lakes were inundated. Household items, vehicles and electronic goods were damaged.
There was severe traffic jam on many important roads. Ballari Road that leads to the Kempegowda International Airport, witnessed chock-a-block for several kilometers.
The Tumakuru Road, Old Madras Road and Kanakapura Road too saw severe traffic congestion.
BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath waded in knee deep to reach out to the residents living in the area.
Addressing reporters, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, said, "You might have noticed in the media what is happening in Dubai and Delhi. There is pollution in Delhi and rains in Dubai, which is a drought prone region. There is a similar situation in many parts of the country. We are managing."
"We cannot stop nature but we are there. I am also gathering information from the entire team. My visit is not important because if I go, I will get media attention but the purpose is not to gain publicity but to give relief to the rain affected people," he added.
According to him, the south, west and Mahadevapura zones faced more problems.
"The embankment of a lake gave way in Dasarahalli. Areas under Mahadevapura zone five layouts –Basava Samithi Layout, Tata Nagar, Bhadrappa Layout, Vayunandana Layout, Anjaneya Layout, Chitrakoot Apartment, Ramanashree California, Surabhi Layout, Someshwara Layout, Kanaka Nagar were inundated," the Deputy CM explained.
He said five NDRF and SDRF teams have been pressed into service. Twenty pumps have been installed to bale out water from the apartments and low-lying areas.
The India Meteorology Department has predicted that light to moderate thundershowers accompanied by lightning are likely to occur at isolated places over Chikkaballapur, Chikkamagalur, Kolar, Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural districts.
Also, isolated heavy rain and thundershowers are likely to occur over Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dharwad, Gadag, Belagavi, Haveri, Davangere, Ballari, Mandya, Mysuru, Ramanagara and Chamarajanagar districts.