JOIN USIt rained a record 151.4 mm
Rains that lashed the city and parts of the district after a brief lull on Monday night, left many, especially heavy vehicles stranded in the middle of the road. The rain water flowed like a river causing deluge of three to four feet high, putting the road users into difficulty at places.
According to the sources at Naganahalli Agriculture Research and Meteorological Centre on the outskirts, it was also the highest in the last 45 years. The rain gauge at the centre recorded the copious rains at 151.4 millimetre, the officer quoting the reading on Tuesday at 8.20 am (It’s only the following days at the said time readings will be taken once in every 24 hours). The last such recording dates back to the year 1968. At V V Puram and surroundings alone, the recording is at 55 mm.
Similar instances
If going by the data of the previous years, October registers heavy rains in the range of 90 and above mm. Previously on October 23, 2005, it was recorded at 124 mm. Earlier to that, on October 27, 1994 it was 144 mm and October 29, 1991- 134 mm. At sometimes, during the same period the highest rainfall has been recorded at 90 mm and above.
However, it was only during a few years the rains have occurred crossing 100 mm.
It’s not just that as more rains are expected till Friday (Oct 12) according to the forecast triggering a warning bell to the people not to venture out till late hours.
Many affected
The rain followed by lightning and cold breeze began at around 10 pm and poured till midnight putting many into inconvenience.
Rain water mixed with storm water drain overflowed and gushed into economically weaker sections (EWS) houses in low lying areas at third stage, Hanumantha Nagar near Bannimantap, while five to six houses were affected in a similar way at Subhash Nagar.
The angry residents at Hanumantha Nagar also resorted to flash protest alleging that the city corporation is yet to swing into action.
It was a second such experience for them, yet the city corporation is oblivious to our demands to rectify the problem, said a local. Following a call, the fire personnel at nearby Bannimantap Fire Station rushed to the spot and cleared the rain water.
At Subhash Nagar, the drain water had gushed into the compound of two of the five houses. The fire personnel had to make a hole through the compound to divert the standing water towards the drain.
Regional fire officer Younus Ali Khouser told Deccan Herald the fire personnel swiftly responded to the calls and removed the water at places using portable pumpsets. At Saraswatipuram, water had gushed into the cellar of a hotel, and it took hours together for the men to accomplish the task.
Tree falls
A fragile tree (called Basavana pada in Kannada) at Vinaya Marga in Siddarthanagar uprooted on the electric pole nearby damaging a part of the same, besides a house adjacent to it. The house belongs to former corporator Kumaraswamy and the panicky authorities had to rush to the spot to clear the same. A total of nine trees of the same family including that of the one that fell on the pole in the same line was ordered to be axed by the forest officers as a precautionary measure, it is learnt.
Meanwhile, some anxious moments were witnessed when environmentalists Bhanu Mohan and Chandru had to face the wrath of a corporator.
Upon receiving the information that forest department has given permission for felling of trees, the two had gone to the spot.
Corporator H Anantha, a resident of the area charged the two for always arguing against tree felling, ignoring the damage it may cause otherwise. Hurt, the two staged a sit-in in front of Gandhiji’’s bust and later lodged a complaint with police commissioner K L Sudheer.