Boats in B'luru roads after heavy downpour; CM Bommai says SDRF teams dispatched

Bengaluru, Sep 5 (IANS) Boats have been deployed in Bengaluru suburbs after heavy rains pounded and inundated the city.

The most affected areas were the IT hub regions of Electronics City, Marathahalli, Outer Ring Road, Mahadevapura, Whitefield and Bommanahalli.

Chief Minister Basavara Bommai on Monday stated that the Bengaluru city has received heavy rains which extensively damaged 30 places in Mahadevapura and Bommanahalli zones. Both the zones house major IT companies besides being home to a major chunk of IT professionals.

"Instructions are issued to dispatch two State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) teams with 30 members in each team to the affected places. Officials are asked to drain out water from roads. Whatever is decided already will be implemented as per plan," he added.

The IT and BT company employees are facing the fury of the heavy rains for more than 10 days. Thousands of professionals were unable to reach their work places. Major companies on the Outer Ring Road stretch have asked their employees to work from their homes following major water logging problems.

The techies who got into public transport were forced to walk kilometers as buses were struck in the traffic as roads were being inundated. Those who took private vehicles were also stranded in traffic for hours.

Balagere-Panathur road in Varthur turned into a river as storm water drains are blocked. The residents of the apartments in the area were evacuated with boats.

Chief Minister Bommai also stated that he will be visiting T.K.Halli unit of Bengaluru Water Board in Mandya district that will manage drinking water supply to Bengaluru City which has been affected due to rushing of water into the unit following heavy rains on Sunday night.

"I am leaving for Mandya soon after Teachers' day function to assess the situation", he told reporters in Vidhana Soudha here on Monday.

He said BWSSB Chairman, engineers, secretary of urban development department are already sent to the unit. The officials of Mandya district are busy in draining out water from the pumping station. The situation is expected to come under control by evening. Technical team is working on the emergency mode to restart the machinery. "I will visit and give necessary instructions".