Bengaluru, Oct 22 (IANS): Following the rain fury in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government has asked residents of a few apartments to relocate for eight days as rainwater has inundated the premises endangering the safety of the residents.
Commenting on the rain wreaking havoc in the state, especially in Bengaluru, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday stated “Instructions have been given to close some apartment complexes for eight days in Bengaluru”. Shivakumar was responding to questions from the media near his residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
“In Chowdeshwari Nagar, 150 mm of rainfall has been recorded. In some areas, the rainfall has been 300 per cent higher than normal. Officials have reported this, and we have asked some residents to relocate. Around 600 families are being relocated from Kendriya Vidyalaya and Tata Nagar.
Five State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed for assistance,” Shivakumar informed.
“We are using 20-25 HP machines to clean the drains, and water is being pumped out from 20 locations. Nature cannot be stopped. You’ve seen floods in Dubai and pollution in New Delhi,” he stated.
“Our teams are working tirelessly day and night. I have also inspected the relief efforts. The western and southern parts of the city are facing more issues. A tank has burst in Dasarahalli, and five localities in the Mahadevapura zone are affected. We are addressing all these problems,” he said.
“Our team of officials has been continuously engaged in relief efforts in rain-affected areas for the past 48 hours. At this moment, conducting relief work is more important than my personal visit to the affected locations,” Shivakumar said.
When asked about the opposition's criticism that he has not visited the affected areas despite the extensive damage caused by rains in Bengaluru, Shivakumar replied, “It’s not just about my visit. What’s important is that the work gets done. If I visit, it might garner publicity, but that is not our priority. We have formed a committee to identify areas facing such challenges and provide permanent solutions. The committee will submit a report soon.”
“I myself was stuck in the rain on Monday evening. While returning from Challakere town, there were two feet of water on the bridge near Nelamangala. Our officials are working 24 hours a day and they have been in the rain-affected areas for the last 48 hours. I don’t want to embarrass them at this time by making a visit,” he added.
When asked about the two children who were swept away in a lake, Shivakumar said, “I am aware of the situation. I have seen the mother's distress. The search operation for the children is ongoing.”