B'luru: Woman techie drowns after car gets stuck in water in neck-deep underpass near Vidhana Soudha
Bengaluru, May 21: A woman drowned on Sunday after a car she was travelling in with her family got stuck in neck-deep water at KR Circle underpass, just a stone's throw from Vidhana Soudha, the seat of power of Karnataka.
Fire and emergency services personnel saved five others of the family and the driver, with the help of people who had rushed to save those trapped in the flooded underpass in the heart of the city.
The victim as well as the others were taken to St Martha's Hospital where doctors declared the woman, identified as Bhanurekha, dead.
Learning about the incident, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah rushed to the hospital and took stock of the situation. He announced a compensation of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and free treatment for those admitted in the hospital.
"The family from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh had hired a car and come to see Bengaluru. Bhanurekha works in Infosys. Due to the downpour, the barricade at the underpass fell down and the driver took the risk of crossing the underpass, which he should not have," Siddaramaiah told reporters.
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When reporters who were covering the incident complained that doctors refused to treat Bhanurekha, who was alive when she was taken to the hospital, Siddaramaiah said he will get it investigated and initiate action.
According to those present at the spot, the car driver tried to zoom through the water, but in the middle of the underpass the car almost got submerged. The occupants of the vehicle came out frantically trying to save themselves.
Due to the downpour and hailstorm, the water level started increasing. As the family started crying for help, people nearby rushed to their rescue. They threw sarees and ropes to help them keep afloat.
Those entrapped tried to climb up but failed. While two of them were dragged out by swimmers of the emergency services personnel, others were brought out using a ladder.
The survivors were rushed to the hospital where they found Bhanurekha dead. Loud mourning ensued at the hospital when the survivors saw the lifeless body of their family member.
An autorickshaw was also trapped at KR Circle and a woman passenger saved her life by climbing on the top of the vehicle. The rescuers saved her too.
Meanwhile, several vehicles got trapped at an underpass near Majestic, also in the centre of the city, due to flooding. People struggled hard to come out their vehicles.
People complained that the place gets flooded whenever there is heavy rainfall in the city and no measures have been taken to avoid it.
Several houses were flooded due to the sudden downpour in the city. Many trees came down crashing damaging houses and vehicles.
At Mahalakshmi Layout, a prime area in the city, water gushed into houses, damaging furniture, electronic goods and stored food grains.
Many areas were waterlogged including posh areas such as Malleswaram and Rajaji Nagar, as well as Srirampuram, certain areas in Kengeri, Mysuru Road and several other low-lying areas.
Several trees were uprooted or their branches came crashing down, damaging vehicles and houses. Traffic was thrown out of gear after the tree fell.
"We are getting complaints of water logging, and trees crashing from all over Bengaluru," a Bengaluru civic agency official told PTI.
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SC to hear plea on air pollution crisis in Delhi-NCR on Dec 17
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday said it will list for hearing on December 17 a plea related to worsening air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pamcholi took note of the submissions of senior advocate Aprajita Singh, who is assisting it as an amicus curiae, that though the preventive measures are there in place but the key issue was of their poor implementation by the authorities.
Singh said till this court directs something, the authorities do not comply with the protocols which are already there.
“This is coming up before a three judges bench on Wednesday. It will come up,” the CJI said.
Another lawyer referred to an application relating to the health issue of children, and said schools, despite the earlier orders, are holding outdoor sports activities.
“Despite the order of this court, Schools have found ways and means to have these sporting activities.. it is taking place. The CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) is again citing the order of this court,” the amicus also said.
“We know the problem and let us pass orders which can be complied with. There are some directions which can be forcibly imposed. In these urban metropolitan cities people have their own lifestyle. But the poor…,” the CJI said.
The amicus said the poor labourers are the worst ones to suffer.
Earlier the bench had said the plea against air pollution cannot be treated as a "customary" case to be listed only during the winter months only.
It had said the case will be taken twice in a month to find out short and long-term solutions to the menace.
Delhi on Monday choked under a thick blanket of smog, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 498, which falls in the higher spectrum of 'severe' category.
The air quality was 'severe' at 38 stations while it was 'very poor' at two stations. Jahangirpuri, which recorded an AQI of 498, recorded the worst air quality amongst all 40 stations.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
The AQI in Delhi had climbed to 461 on Sunday and marked the city's most polluted day this winter and the second-worst December air quality day on record, as weak winds and low temperatures trapped pollutants close to the surface.
