Sunday, 13 Oct, 2024
By: Yash Gupte
Heavy rains continue to hammer Bengaluru this week, with no relief in sight. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) - Met Centre Bengaluru, heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning are expected in the Bengaluru Urban district until September 9
Heavy rains continue to hammer Bengaluru this week, with no relief in sight. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) - Met Centre Bengaluru, heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning are expected in the Bengaluru Urban district until September 9. Following the flooding of a pumping station that takes in water from 100 kilometers away, Bengaluru's water supply provider announced on September 5 that water will be turned off to more than 50 areas of the city for two days. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai declared on September 5 that a decision had been made to allocate 300 crore to deal with the current situation and preserve basic infrastructure in the city as a result of losses caused by severe rains in the state.
According to Basavaraj Bommai, between September 1 and 5, certain locations in the state capital received 150 percent more rain than usual. Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli, and K.R.Puram have received 307 percent more rain than usual. He added that this was the heaviest rainfall in 42 years and all 164 tanks in Bengaluru are completely full. According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bengaluru has received 364.2 mm of rain so far in August.
Bellandur, Yemalur, Koramangala, HSR Layout, HAL II Stage, Indiranagar, HBR Layout, and Manyata Tech Park were literally turned into a network of islands due to severe water logging reported in these areas. Inflatable boats and tractors were used to rescue individuals, with assistance from the State Disaster Relief Forces (SDRF). Mahadevapura east, Yelahanka, and Bommanahalli zones were the hardest affected. In the shanty communities of Munnekolalu and Bellandur, about 1,500 tin shed dwellings were inundated. Two SDRF teams of 30 people were dispatched to seriously damaged regions of Koramangala, Indiranagar, and Rainbow Drive Layout in Sarjapur, Marathahalli, and others. The IT companies in Bengaluru alleged that they have suffered a loss of Rs. 225 crore due to the torrential rains.
The movement of vehicles was severely affected in the city as most parts reported traffic snarls of more than 2 kms. Most of the flights to and from Bengaluru were diverted and some of them cancelled. Apart from flights and road transportation, the trains were also delayed and were running behind the schedule. Bengaluru city observatory recorded the wettest south-west monsoon in history by receiving a massive 953.4 mm of rainfall since 1st June 2022. The previous record was 949.7 mm set in 2017. The last five years have seen the top two wettest SWM seasons in recorded history.
Source: Indian Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences
As compared to other surrounding districts, Bengaluru urban and Bengaluru rural districts have recorded maximum rainfall in last six days. Bengaluru urban received 122.8 mm of rainfall during last six days which was highest among the districts compared in the above chart. Bengaluru urban and Bengaluru rural approximately received 100 mm more rainfall than the normal. Though all the districts in the above chart received excess rainfall than the normal, Chikballapur and Kolar districts received close to normal rainfall and there was not much difference between the actual and normal rainfall in these districts. According to the IMD, Bengaluru urban and Bengaluru rural received largely excess rainfall. Largely excess rainfall in the city has brought the life to standstill and has left thousands severely affected.
