Bengaluru weather highlights: DK Shivakumar meets families of two who died by electrocution

As rain continues to lash Bengaluru, Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said that officials are attending the situation on field, asserting that there is no need for anyone to worry.

Shivakumar said that the government is committed to protect the lives and properties of the people.

"We got information about two deaths late last evening. We have sent out officials. I will also go. Instructions have been given to officials. All are on the field and are attending. There is no need for anyone to worry. Our priority is to save the lives and properties of people. We are committed to it," Shivakumar said.

"I visited some spots last night. Irrespective of wherever we are, our duty is to save Bengaluru's pride, and we will do it," he added.

BJP leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy slammed the Congress party for celebrating two years of its government while rain wreaked havoc in the city and brought several issues for the residents.

Speaking to news agency ANI, he said, "What is the celebration (on completion of two years of Congress govt in Karnataka) for? There has been no development at all in the last two years. DK Shivakumar says that even if God comes, Bengaluru can't be saved."

"Five people have died during this rainfall. What is this? The public is upset. Rainwater has entered people's houses, yet the government is not serious. This is the condition of the Congress party....When Rome caught fire, its king was sitting with a violin," he added.

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao said that there are two locations where some issues continue to remain.

"We will have to look for better solutions...There is a requirement to increase the width of the drain line for carrying water away in North Bangalore...We received directions from the Chief Minister yesterday to ensure that the best action is taken," he told ANI.

BJP leader and Karnataka assembly LoP R Ashoka inspected the flooded roads in the city and slammed the Congress government in the state.

"Congress people are calling it Great Bengaluru, brand Bengaluru, but it has become bad Bengaluru now. 5 people have died today in Bengaluru and this is a shame that Congress is doing a rally," he told ANI.

BJP state chief BY Vijayendra, speaking to news agency ANI, said, "Siddaramaiah government has become so insensitive. When the people are worst affected due to the rains from the last two days in Bengaluru, the state government is busy celebrating the completion of two years of the government."

"CM and the deputy CM keep talking about the greater Bengaluru, but keep talking about it, won't help. All the contractors' payments have stopped, and the work has also stopped," he added.

Vijayendra was inspecting the flooded Silk Road Junction along with other BJP leaders.

BJP leaders, including state party chief BY Vijayendra, are inspecting waterlogged Silk Road Junction.

The heavy downpour posed major disruptions for the city residents as flooded roads turned commute into a task.

Officials said that the death toll due to rain-related incidents increased to five on Tuesday.

The deceased include two people, a 63-year-old and a 12-year-old, who died due to electrocution in Madhuvan Apartment in NS Palya near BTM 2nd Stage.

Another was a 35-year-old Shashikala, a housekeeping staff of a software company in Mahadevapura.

The toll totals up to 5 with the deaths of two people due to lightning in Raichur and Karwar districts.

Heavy rainfall in Bengaluru for the past 36 hours threw life out of gear for city residents who were seen wading their way through the knee-deep water.

Sai Layout in the city continued to look like an island due to the torrential rainfall. Several people were unable to come out as ground floor of their houses were half-submerged. Authorities said that around 150 people were rescued and shifted to safe locations on Monday.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMB) had arranged food and water for people in Sai Layout.

The incessant downpour in Bengaluru has caused heavy waterlogging across the city, trigger troubles for residents to commute and navigate through the flooded roads. Visuals from Shanti Nagar and the BMTC depot area show the flooding level on the streets.

As per IMD, isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over Karnataka during May 19 to 25.

The Bengaluru Traffic Police has announced the temporary closure of Hosur Road between Silk Board Junction and Rupena Agrahara due to heavy flooding following incessant rain.

The police further urged commuters to opt for alternate routes until further notice.

Deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Monday told reporters amid heavy rainfall in Bengaluru that the Congress-led state government has built 197 km of storm water drains.

for further such infrastructure to be built, he added that the administration is spending ₹2,000 crore for storm water drains.

Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Monday evening told reporters that the traffic police identified 132 flooded spots in the city during heavy rainfall. "Of these, we have rectified issues in 82 spots and 41 spots are yet to be fixed. We are spending ₹2000 crore for storm water drains," he added.

As per IMD weather forecast, an upper air cyclonic circulation is likely to form over eastcentral Arabian Sea off the Karnataka coast around May 21. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the same region around May 22. Thereafter, it is likely to move northwards and intensify further, it added.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Bengaluru on Tuesday, news agency PTI reported.

IMD Bengaluru Centre Director N Puviarasu said they have issued an orange alert for the city for the impact 8 cm to 10 cm that will likely affect the Karnataka capital.

"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.

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.

Heavy waterlogging was witnessed across Bengaluru as torrential downpours lashed the city on Monday, causing traffic jam and difficulties in commuting on the city roads.

At least 19 districts in Bengaluru are under yellow alert, as per the India Meteorological Department. These regions are:

• Chamarajanagar
• Mysore
• Mandhya
• Ramnagar
• Bangalore Urban
• Bangalore Rural
• Kolar
• Chikballapur
• Tumkur
• Chitradurga
• Davangere
• Bellary
• Gadag
• Koppal
• Raichur
• Yadgir
• Bijaapur
• Gulbarga
• Bidar

IMD has issued orange alert for 11 districts across Karnataka, including Dakshin Kannada, Shimoga, Udupi, Shimoga, Dharwad, among others.

IMD's weather forecast for Bengaluru this week is as follows:

• May 20, Tuesday: Partly cloudy sky with possibility of heavy rain or thunderstorm.
• May 21, Wednesday: Partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers.
• May 22, Thursday: Partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers.
• May 23, Friday: Partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers.
• May 24, Saturday: Rainfall
• May 25, Sunday: Rainfall

As torrential rainfall wreaked havoc in Bengaluru, chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar will conduct a city-wide inspection on May 21.

Siddaramaiah said that the city, on Monday, recorded 104 mm of rainfall, which was more than expected.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast partly cloudy sky with possibility of heavy rain or thunderstorm for Tuesday.

The minimum temperature is likely to settle at 20 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is expected to be around 27 degrees Celsius.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bengaluru Central, PC Mohan, on Monday urged companies in the city, including Infosys, to consider allowing work-from-home amid heavy rainfall in the city that disrupted daily life after waterlogging was reported in several areas.

Taking to platform X, BJP MP PC Mohan posted, "All companies in Bengaluru, including Infosys, must declare two days of work from home due to rains."

Two persons were killed on Monday after being electrocuted in the Madhuvan Apartments complex in NS Palya, BTM Layout 2nd Stage.

The deceased were identified as a 63-year-old Manmohan Kamath, a resident of the apartment and a 12-year-old Dinesh, son of a Nepalese worker employed in the same complex.

Police reportedly said that Kamath was trying to drain rainwater accumulated in the apartment's basement. He had brought in a motor pump and connected it to a power socket. And while he tried to use it, a suspected short circuit occurred and resulted in fatal electric shocks hitting Kamath.

At the same time, Dinesh, who was playing nearby, also came in contact with the electrified water and got electrocuted.

Though the two were quickly pulled out of the water and rushed to a nearby hospital, doctors declared them dead on arrival.

Bangalore rain live updates: A 35-year-old Shashikala, housekeeping employee at a software company called IZMO Ltd., in Bengaluru's Mahadevapura lost her life after a wall collapsed on her on Monday.

Police said that around 7 am, a compound wall on the company's premises allegedly collapsed and fell on her, trapping Shashikala beneath and resulting in her death on the spot.

The wall was reportedly weakened due to intense rainfall overnight.

Officials said that further probe was underway, with authorities examining whether the wall collapse was solely due to rain or if additional structural issues were there.

Bengaluru deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said that 70 per cent of the 210 identified flood-prone areas have been fixed. “We had identified 210 flood-prone areas in the city. Since taking charge as Bengaluru Development Minister, we have resolved issues in 166 of those locations. Work is in progress in 24 areas, and action will soon begin in the remaining 20,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

He added that the city has constructed 197 km of stormwater drains as part of the flood prevention measures.

“We’ve fixed 82 of these. Work on the remaining 41 spots is pending,” he said, adding that the government has allocated ₹2,000 crore for stormwater drain infrastructure. We’re working to resolve flooding and support the public. There is no need for panic," Shivakumar said.