Normal life disrupted as rains continue to pound Bengaluru, rain-related toll rises to 5
Bengaluru (PTI): Heavy downpour in Bengaluru for the past 36 hours threw life out of gear here on Tuesday as well. People were seen walking through knee-deep water and traffic jams were reported in many places. The rain-related toll went up to five in the state, officials said.
Sai Layout in the city continued to resemble an island due to the torrential rains. Ground floor of the houses here were half-submerged and people were unable to come out. About 150 people were rescued and shifted to safe locations on Monday, authorities said.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMB) had arranged food and water for people in Sai Layout.
Residents complained that the civic agencies were least bothered about the sufferings of people residing in Sai Layout.
An orphanage in Hennur in the city also bore the brunt of the downpour.
The Fire and Rescue Department along with Disaster Response Force rescued the people in the orphanage as the place was filled with water.
Commuters had a harrowing time wading through the knee-deep water in many places, including near Manyata Tech Park, which houses offices of many multinational companies, and Silk Board Junction.
Many new potholes emerged in the city roads posing threat to motorists.
Due to waterlogging, vehicles were stranded, leading to long traffic jams in many parts of the city.
Two people, including a 12-year-old, were electrocuted while trying to drain rainwater that had entered an apartment in the city, police said on Tuesday.
According to Mico Layout Police, Manmohan Kamath (63), a resident of Madhuvan Apartment in NS Palya near BTM 2nd Stage, had tried to use a motorised pump to clear water out of his house on Monday evening.
"When he connected the pump to a socket, there was a short circuit, leading to his electrocution," a police officer involved in the investigation said.
Dinesh (12), son of a Nepalese man employed at the apartment complex, who was standing near Kamath, was also electrocuted, police added.
The two were declared dead by doctors at a hospital. Unnatural Death Reports (UDRs) will be registered in both cases, the Station Head Officer confirmed.
Earlier on Monday, Sasikala (35) died when a compound wall fell on her while she was sweeping at a company within the limits of Mahadevapura Police Station.
Two people died of lightning in Raichur and Karwar, officials said.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bengaluru has received about 30 mm rain in the last 24 hours.
The city had recorded 105 mm rain on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday morning.
Rains are pounding several parts of Karnataka, especially south Karnataka, coastal and Malnad region.
Mangaluru, the district headquarter town of Dakshina Kannada, recorded 90 mm rain in the last 24 hours.
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Bengaluru and a yellow alert at various places across Karnataka on Tuesday.
An orange alert means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm, and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.
IMD Bengaluru Centre Director N Puviarasu said they have issued an orange alert for Bengaluru for the impact 8 cm to 10 cm that will likely affect the big city.
"The amount of rainfall we are receiving is nothing for rural areas. But because cities like Bengaluru are concretised mostly, and thus blocking the outlets for water drainage, we have issued an orange alert so that authorities can prepare accordingly," he said.
According to the IMD statement, areas likely to be affected today are Bagalkot, Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Belgaum, Chikkaballapura, Dharwad, Gadag, Kolar, Koppal, Vijayanagara districts.
A yellow alert has been sounded in Uttar Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Dharwad, Bengaluru Rural and Bengaluru Urban districts.
The IMD has predicted light to moderate rains and thundershowers accompanied by lightning and gusty wind at isolated places in above districts in next 24 hours.
It has appealed to people to stay indoors and avoid travelling.
"Take safe shelters. Do not take shelter under trees. Unplug electrical/electronic appliances immediately. Get out of water bodies immediately. Keep away from all the objects that conduct electricity," the bulletin read.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
