Bengaluru: Thundershowers, accompanied by strong winds, lashed the city, throwing traffic out of gear, felling trees and flooding several areas on Saturday evening. However, no casualties were reported.
Officials manning the BBMP helpline said that they received 27 complaints related to trees falling from Malleswaram, Sanjaynagar, Srirampuram, Rajkumar Road and other areas in West Bengaluru.
The rain started around 7 pm and was heaviest in western parts of the city. “It was the first heavy rain of the season in Malleswaram area. We enjoyed it as there was no power cut or tree falling incidents,” said Mr Rajesh Sharma, a resident of Swimming Pool Extension.
Thousands of commuters were stranded at the Majestic bus stand as several buses were cancelled because of traffic jams across the city. Taking advantage of the chaos, autorickshaw and cab drivers asked four times the fare.
Traffic was thrown out of gear on Rajkumar Road in Rajajinagar as trees had fallen on roads. There were also three to four hour traffic jams in Jayanagar, R.T. Nagar, K.R. Puram and other areas.
Residents complained that the BBMP helpline staff were not responding to their distress calls to attend to rain-related damage. Low lying parts of Laggere were flooded and fire brigade officials rushed to pump out the water and rescue residents.
Several parts of the city, incuding Shanthinagar, Bannerghatta Road and surrounding areas, witnessed disruption in power supply. Indian Meteorological Department officials said that these were pre-monsoon rains and that they will continue for another three to four days.
On new BEL Road, a car drifted for a distance as the flood waters rose because of blocked drains. Rain water entered the Yeshwanthpur bus terminus creating panic among passengers.
