B'luru airport flooded, travellers face harrowing time

Bengaluru, Oct 12 (IANS) Incessant rains flooded Bengaluru's Kempe Gowda International Airport (KIAL), causing inconvenience to international travellers, who were ferried by tractors to terminal.

The airport premises turned into a 'town bus stand', as local people who ferried international travellers to the terminal were found to be announcing the destination 'airport terminal' on top of their voices.

As knee-deep water stood at the terminal concourse of the airport due to heavy rains, passengers had a tough time as taxis were stranded for hours and a few of them could not even start.

Hundreds of cabs on the premises of the KIAL developed technical snags after being partially submerged in the rainwater.

The videos of international travellers boarding the tractors with their luggage for travelling to the airport terminal where cabs could not reach due to the increase in water levels, have gone viral on social media platforms.

However, the situation was brought under control by the authorities, including the police department, by midnight.

C.K. Baba, DCP (North East Division) explained that "the police department, along with airport authorities at KIAL, helped to clear waterlogging and also also facilitated the traffic near toll gates till late in the night as traffic was delayed for two to three hours".

Pumping machines were pressed to flush out water, and all the senior officers were present at the airport premises to manage and monitor the situation, he added.

Sajeeth V.J., DCP Traffic (North Division), stated that he reviewed the situation on Tuesday morning and the water has been flushed out.

Airport authorities stated that the water near the terminal has been flushed out.

Sources stated waterlogging occurred due to the ongoing work of Namma Metro and other developmental activities on the premises of KIAL.

However, the Meteorological Department has warned that incessant rain will continue to lash the state capital Bengaluru and airport authorities are preparing to manage the situation.

Meanwhile, the whole of Silicon city was affected by the heavy rain as houses were flooded with water at multiple localities.

Venkatesh (56), a resident of KP Agrahara, died of electrocution after his house was flooded on Monday late night.

Trees were uprooted and compound walls collapsed in Bengaluru.

The Meteorological Department has warned that heavy rains will lash 18 districts of Karnataka state, including Bengaluru and Bengaluru Rural districts.

The water bodies in most of the districts are full and people are facing the threat of floods in many districts.