Waterlogged roads stall Bengaluru traffic; Home Minister says 'authorities on job'
Bengaluru(PTI): Once again, social media is flooded with videos of waterlogged roads from various parts of Bengaluru, highlighting how the city collapses when there is rain.
This pre-monsoon season, according to hobby weather watchers of the city, Bengaluru has been witnessing cloud bursts of 15 to 20 cm for the last couple of days.
According to Home Minister G Parameshwara, for the last three days, Bengaluru has witnessed heavy rains.
"During pre-monsoon, we usually see flooding and inundation. BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike ) has been on the job of clearing waterlogging and uprooted trees and branches from roads. Authorities are on the job," said the Home Minister.
Most hobby weather watchers have advocated for work from home, as Bengaluru roads make commuting almost impossible as well as dangerous, especially with the flooding of underpasses at several places.
A picture captured by Bengaluru Corporate Club's official 'X' handle shows a chock-a-block Silk Board -- one of the infamous bottlenecks that slow down traffic in the city -- at 7.20 am, the supposedly non-peak hour, on Monday.
PTI Videos reported from the ground that the traffic jam at Silk Board stretched for nearly 10 km.
Meanwhile, the yellow alert issued on May 18 to some regions in Karnataka, including Bengaluru, remains valid for Monday and Tuesday as well, said India Meteorological Department's Bengaluru centre Director N Puviarasu.
Speaking to PTI, he said the department is studying the current pattern of the air circulation and will later issue a weather update.
"As per the current pattern of the cyclonic circulation, Karnataka, especially the coastal parts will get heavy rainfall. Bengaluru is also expected to receive heavy rainfall for the next two days," said Puviarasu.
On Sunday, Bengaluru was battered by intense rains that led to severe waterlogging in several low-lying areas.
Yellow alert could possibly result in temporary disruption of electricity in some areas, minor traffic snarls and possible uprooting of weak trees and branches, warned IMD.
On Sunday, IMD had issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall across 23 districts in Karnataka, including Bengaluru, till Thursday.
The alert warned of moderate to heavy thundershowers, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 50 - 60 km/h. Widespread rainfall and thunderstorms are expected throughout the week.
The affected districts include Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Tumakuru, Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan, Kodagu, Belagavi, Bidar, Raichur, Yadgir, Davanagere, and Chitradurga.
As per the alert issued by IMD on Monday morning, inclement weather is being driven by an upper-air cyclonic circulation over the Southeast Bay of Bengal and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, along with a trough extending from Telangana to North Tamil Nadu, which is pulling in significant moisture and intensifying rainfall across southern India.
Bengaluru city alone received 103 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, according to an IMD bulletin.
One of the worst rain-affected areas in Bengaluru so far was Sai Layout in Horamavu, which falls in the Mahadevapura zone. On Saturday, pre-monsoon rain submerged the layout with 4-5ft of water, leaving streets flooded to knee level.
According to some news reports, the residents have blamed clogged drains and claimed that despite repeated complaints to the authorities, they were not cleaned.
Water entered homes in NC Colony on Tannery Road as well.
Although no injuries have been reported, a tree that was uprooted in the heavy rains in Jayanagar fell on a parked car and a jeep, damaging them. East End Road towards Mount Carmel School Road was also temporarily closed as a tree fell on the stretch.
Waterlogged roads in different parts of the city had made commuting a nightmare for people.
Despite constant traffic alerts by the traffic police about slow-moving traffic in several places, people pushing their stuck cars in knee-deep water could be spotted at places like Panathur S Cross, upper ramp of Domlur flyover and Koramangala, which are prone to waterlogging. Traffic was also slow near Manyata Tech Park.
Several parts of Karnataka have also been receiving good rainfall, especially the Malenadu region and coastal Karnataka.
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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.
