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On Bengaluru rain, minister says, ‘If New York received this downpour’
Karnataka minister Dr K Sudhakar said it is easy to complain but the situation in Bengaluru is not fit for blame-game.
Karnataka minister Dr K Sudhakar on Tuesday said the situation of New York will also be the same as Bengaluru if it receives this much rain, as Bengaluru struggles for the second day on Tuesday after receiving record rainfall. Taking a jibe at former Infosys director Mohandas Pai who has been vocal about the 'poor' infrastructure of the IT capital, the minister said it is easy to complain than solving a problem. "What would have happened in New York if it had rained this much? Whose fault is it that hundreds of villages have been merged into greater Bengaluru without being developed," the minister tweeted. Also Read: As heavy rain batters Bengaluru, KTR calls for ‘bold reforms’ in urban planning : 'Urge minister Hardeep Puri to...'
The situation in Bengaluru is not fit for a blame-game, the minister said accepting that the unprecedented rain pulled Bengaluru into chaos but the government is working towards mitigating the crisis.
Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has released ₹300 crore to deal with the situation and for the maintenance of the basic infrastructure in Bengaluru.
Normal life has come to a halt in the IT capital with most parts of the city being under water. Electricity and water supply have been disrupted while photos of office goers struggling in traffic snarl in knee-deep water, taking a tractor to reach their workplaces have shocked social media. On Monday, the Bangalore Urban district received 79.2 mm of rain. Maximum schools have announced holiday on Tuesday while many IT companies asked employees to work from home.
The situation of Bengaluru has opened a debate on city's infrastructure in which Telangana minister KTR also chimed in and said the infrastructure of cities is bound to crumble with rapid urbanisation and sub-urbanisation as not much has been invested into upgrading the infrastructure. "No Indian city (including my state’s capital city) today is immune to the disastrous consequences of climate change," KTR tweeted.
