Rain havoc: Drains overflow, water enters homes

Extent of damage being estimated: Civic chief

In scenes that get repeated every time there is a downpour, heavy rains caused stormwater drains to overflow and flood into several homes on Thursday. Most damages were reported near Kamakya Theatre in South zone and Subramanyapura in Bommanahalli zone.

Apart from grappling with floodwater that overflowed from drains, the residents also had to deal with long hours of power shutdown.

The rains started lashing in the evening and the drains overflowed around 8.30 p.m., flooding nearly 90 homes in Kathriguppe near Kamakya Theatre. Shivu, a resident whose house was flooded, said the water level was almost five feet.

The residents complained about poorly maintained stormwater drains for the flooding. “We have never witnessed such excessive waterlogging so far. It is due to poor drainage system,” said Vishwas, another resident.

Sulochana and her family, who reside on the ground floor, spent a sleepless night after their home was flooded. “Our cots and mattresses were also submerged in the dirty water. We spent the night draining water from our home,” she said.

Civic chief Gaurav Gupta, who inspected the flood affected area on Thursday night and again on Friday, told reporters that the civic officials had been directed to estimate the damages incurred by the residents. The compensation will be decided as per the guidelines of the Disaster Management Act.

B.C. Ramakrishna, Joint Commissioner, Bommanahalli, said that around 200 houses were flooded in the low-lying areas of Subramanyapura after the drain overflowed. Several residents have lost household items and groceries, apart from damages to their two-wheelers and four-wheelers.