Rains throw normal life out of gear in Bengaluru, parts of Karnataka
Bengaluru, Oct 15: Incessant rains since early Tuesday threw normal life out of gear in central and southern parts of Karnataka, including the state capital Bengaluru where several localities witnessed water-logging and traffic congestion.
Motorists faced difficulties navigating through the city traffic due to the downpour as several roads in Varthur, Hebbal, Kadubeesanahalli, and surrounding areas were water-logged.
Areas housing major technology companies like Manyata Tech Park on Outer Ring Road (ORR) and tech hubs like Sarjapur were among the affected.
"Nagawara flyover near Manyata Tech Park is waterlogged....slow movement of vehicles on both sides," a traffic official said. "Hennur-Bagalur road, Ganganagar, and Ramamurthy Nagar were also waterlogged. Heavy rainfall has led to slow-moving traffic across the city."
In the wake of rains across Bengaluru, the city civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has set up 24X7 exclusive control rooms in its eight zones and also launched a helpline number (1533) to report rain-related problems.
Meanwhile, the BBMP's disaster management team has cleared waterlogging under the Hebbal flyover, allowing vehicular movement.
Due to heavy rains, trees also were uprooted in areas like Syndicate Bank Colony in Banashankari.
BBMP officials have been instructed to be on high alert. In a virtual meeting held by BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath, he advised all officials to stay prepared for any emergencies and to focus on flood-prone areas.
According to Traffic Police, gridlocks were reported on major roads including ORR, Tumakuru Road and Airport Road. Heavy waterlogging was also reported on Bellary Road at Hunsamaranahalli.
"Traffic towards airport is severely affected. Commuters are requested to plan their travel accordingly and use alternate routes," a traffic police official urged.
"There is heavy waterlogging and congestion on ORR between Kadubeesanahalli and Marathalli. Traffic movement is slow," he said.
India Meteorological Department officials said a low pressure area that formed over the Bay of Bengal was the trigger for the widespread rainfall.
They said the arid regions of northern parts of the state would witness similar weather conditions in the next 24 hours. "This situation will prevail for the next three to four days," an official said.
Students and office-goers in Bengaluru in particular had a tough time following road congestion due to the rains.
IMD has issued a yellow alert -- indicating worsening weather conditions that could disrupt daily life -- for the districts of Tumakuru, Mysuru, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kolar, Shivamogga and Chikkaballapura in addition to coastal Karnataka.
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S Jaishankar arrives in Islamabad to attend SCO meeting; first visit by EAM to Pakistan in 9 years
Islamabad, Oct 15: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday landed in Islamabad to attend a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), in the first visit to Pakistan by a high-ranking Indian minister in nearly a decade that came amid frosty ties between the two neighbours.
Jaishankar's aircraft landed at the Nur Khan airbase on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital city at around 3:30 pm (local time) and he was greeted by senior Pakistani officials.
It is the first time in nearly nine years that India's foreign minister travelled to Pakistan even as the ties between the two neighbours remained tense over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
The external affairs minister will lead the Indian delegation at the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit on Wednesday.
"Landed in Islamabad to take part in SCO Council of Heads of Government Meeting," Jaishankar posted on 'X' along with photographs of children and officials welcoming him with flowers at the airport.
The last Indian Foreign Minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj. She had travelled to Islamabad to attend the 'Heart of Asia' conference on Afghanistan held from December 8-9, 2015.
Jaishankar, who was then India's foreign secretary, was part of Swaraj's delegation.
During the visit, Swaraj held talks with her then counterpart Sartaj Aziz.
Following the Swaraj-Aziz talks, a joint statement was released in which both sides announced their decision to start a Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue.
Little over two weeks after Swaraj's trip, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sprang a surprise with a 150-minute visit to Lahore on his way back home from Kabul.
Modi visited the ancestral home of his then-Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif and had talks to open ways for peace.
However, a series of terror attacks on India by Pakistan-based terrorists significantly strained the ties subsequently.
Before Jaishankar left for Pakistan, India on Tuesday said that it remains actively engaged in various mechanisms of the SCO.
Pakistan is hosting the two-day SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit on October 15 and 16.
"The SCO CHG meeting is held annually and focuses on the trade and economic agenda of the Organisation," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
"External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the meeting. India remains actively engaged in the SCO format, including various mechanisms and initiatives within the SCO framework," it said in a brief statement in New Delhi.
On Tuesday evening, Jaishankar is set to attend a banquet reception to be hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to welcome the delegates from the SCO member nations, people familiar with the matter said.
Both sides have already ruled out any bilateral talks between Jaishankar and his Pakistan counterpart Ishaq Dar on the sidelines of the SCO heads of the government summit.
Jaishankar's visit to Pakistan assumes significance as it is seen as a significant decision on New Delhi's part.
In his recent address at an event, Jaishankar said, "like with any neighbour, India would certainly like to have good relations with Pakistan."
"But that cannot happen by overlooking cross-border terrorism and indulging in wishful thinking."
The decision to send the senior minister is seen as a display of India's commitment to the SCO. China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will be represented by their prime ministers while Iran’s First Vice President will be attending the summit.
The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India's warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack.
The relations further deteriorated after India on August 5, 2019, announced the withdrawal of special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and the bifurcation of the state into two union territories.
Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with India after New Delhi abrogated Article 370.
India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility for such engagement.
Pakistan's then foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited India in May 2023 to attend an in-person meeting of the foreign ministers of SCO nations in Goa.
It was the first visit of a Pakistani foreign minister to India in almost 12 years.
Landed in Islamabad to take part in SCO Council of Heads of Government Meeting. pic.twitter.com/PQ4IFPZtlp
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 15, 2024
