Second rain of the year: Roads cave in to pressure

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: After enduring a sweltering heat, the Garden City residents heaved a sigh of relief after the second showers of the year lashed on Saturday. While some may rejoice at the ‘Mango Showers’, it has yet again exposed the sorry state of infrastructure. Roads connecting the periphery of the city were inundated, with question marks over preparations made by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Several areas, especially North Bengaluru, witnessed heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds. Areas in and around Yelahanka recorded 20 mm rainfall, according to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) However, South Bengaluru has not gotten its share of rain. A few areas in and around J P Nagar recorded 12 mm rainfall. As usual, Hebbal flyover, Varthur Kodi Road, Silkboard and Roopena Agrahara saw the familiar pains of inundation.

Traffic cops were seen clearing debris that blocked the side drains on flyovers, again exposing the BBMP’s lack of groundwork. Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M N Anucheth confirmed that the road at Hunasamaranahalli towards the airport was severely waterlogged, throwing out of gear. Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted light to moderate rainfall for Sunday.