As rain-battered Bengaluru still struggles to return to normal after several parts were severely inundated, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai blamed the previous Congress regime for the massive waterlogging in the city. Blaming the opposition Congress for the crisis, he said, "The unplanned development and mismanagement during its (Congress) tenure has resulted in a flood crisis in Bengaluru." Furthermore, he claimed that permissions for construction in the areas of lakes, lake bunds and buffer zones were granted recklessly and did not bother to think about management of lakes. Congress is responsible for the present crisis, he reiterated.
He further claimed that while a few areas face waterlogging issues due to poor infrastructure, there is “no problem” with Bengaluru as a whole. "Two zones, particularly Mahadevapura zone, have issues since it has 69 tanks packed into a small space and all lakes are above capacity". He also said that low-lying establishments and encroachments are both key causes of the present situation. "This is a challenge I've accepted. A grant worth Rs 1,500 crore and an additional Rs 300 crore have been made available. Future action would be taken to prevent encroachments," he added. He also said that a Union government-appointed team will arrive in Bengaluru on Tuesday, September 6, to discuss the flooding situation.
With arterial highways and approach roads in areas where significant IT companies are still inundated, Bengaluru took a huge hit after heavy rains battered the city on Monday and Tuesday. According to CM Bommai, Karnataka has seen exceptional rains, particularly in some parts of Bengaluru. "The state has had the most rainfall in the previous 90 years, particularly in Bengaluru. Water bodies that are already full of water have overflooded due to the constant rain,” he said.
Several areas in Bengaluru, particularly in the eastern part of the city, experienced severe inundation, with visuals showing cars and vehicles nearly submerged on the roads. The Cauvery water pumps in neighbouring Mandya district’s TK Halli were also submerged on Monday, impacting water supply to Bengaluru. Further, the rains caused many lakes in the city to overflow and breach the walls, leading to more flooding.
Karnataka, especially Bengaluru has received unprecedented heavy rainfall compared to last 90 years. All the tanks are full, overflowing and some have breached. It is not that entire Bengaluru is facing a situation. Only in two zones,
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) September 6, 2022
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