Heavy rains lashed Mandya and Ramanagara districts in Karnataka leading to traffic snarls in Bengaluru and Mysuru and waterlogging issues at several places.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Ramanagara, Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Mysuru, Mandya and Kolar districts of Karnataka till Wednesday. According to the IMD, light to heavy moderate rains are expected to continue for next few days in these places in the state. The department has also warned of thunderstorms with lightning in a few areas.
The traffic on the stretch along the newly-constructed Mysuru-Bengaluru highway — which is all set to open in October — was disrupted for several hours at many places as the roads were inundated due to incessant rain.
The rain started around 3 am on Monday and has resulted in mass flooding. The Ramanagara police, meanwhile, asked the commuters to take an alternative route. Passengers travelling between Bengaluru and Mysuru were asked to take Bengaluru – Kanakapura – Mysuru road instead of the Bengaluru Mysuru highway.
The worst affected places are Arkeshwara Colony, Tipu Nagar and Sangabasavanadoddi in Ramanagara and Bidadi. Several videos of the waterlogging were widely shared on the social media. In a video, several cars and a bus can be seen stranded near the underpass and service roads filled with rainwater along the highway. Over 50 bus passengers were rescued by the local public and passers-by.
An underpass near Basavanapura village was also flooded due to the rain. Several cars also submerged on the service roads where more than five-feet water had collected.
{{/usCountry}}An underpass near Basavanapura village was also flooded due to the rain. Several cars also submerged on the service roads where more than five-feet water had collected.
{{/usCountry}}Due to the rain, the Rangarayanadoddy lake collapsed in Hanumantanagar, following which, over 30 houses were flooded, said a person in the know of development.
The Elekeri-Rampur road was also flooded with over four-feet of water .
Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday visited flood-hit areas in Ramanagar district.He inspected the damage caused to crops due to the breach of Bakshi lake in Maruti Layout in the Ramanagaram. “The CM visited the farmers’ houses and promised them suitable compensation. The completely collapsed house will be paid ₹1 lakh immediately and a total of ₹5 lakh will be paid in a phased manner,” read a statement from the chief minister’s office.
Bommai said that he has already held a video conference with the divisional commissioner of Mysuru as well as deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of Mandya and Ramanagara districts to ensure that seamless travel from Bengaluru to Mysuru is enabled.
Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy who was en route to Bengaluru, was also stuck on the highway. “Heavy rains have created a flood-like situation on the Bengaluru-Mysore highway. So it is better for people travelling on this route not to come to this highway today. Take alternate routes if you have to travel unavoidably,” Kumaraswamy tweeted.
Additional deputy commissioner, Ramanagara district, Javare Gowda T said that overflowing lakes were responsible for the floods. “It has been raining every few weeks, due to which the lakes overflowed quickly. Some of the underpasses, such as the one near Wonderla amusement park, of the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway are still under construction and it has obstructed the natural flow of water which also led to the flooding,” he said.