Karnataka’s Bengaluru experienced heavy rain on Monday, providing some relief from the significant rain deficit but causing difficulties for residents. This downpour marked the second consecutive day of rain, signaling the onset of the northeast (retreating) monsoon over Karnataka.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts that rain will continue, with moderate-to-heavy rainfall expected on Tuesday and light-to-moderate showers on Wednesday. The weather department has issued Yellow Alert in the city, The Hindu.
A Prasad, a scientist at IMD Bengaluru, reported that the rain deficit for Bengaluru since the beginning of October stands at 81%, with Karnataka experiencing a 61% deficit, quoted TOI. However, Kodagu, the catchment area of the Cauvery River, recorded a 68% surplus in October.
The heavy rain on Monday evening led to power outages lasting 3-4 hours in various parts of the city, including the southern, northern, and eastern areas. Many residents faced difficulties reaching the Bescom helpline for updates and were left in the dark regarding when power would be restored. Mahantesh Bilagi, the managing director of Bescom, explained that technical glitches and tripped power lines were the reasons for the outages and that their personnel were working to restore power supply.
Ramesh Kumar, the director (technical) at Bescom, mentioned specific issues in the south and north zones, including a 220kv line trip and tree branches falling on transmission lines, quoted the report by TOI . This resulted in disruptions to the power supply.
Traffic Jam, Waterlogged Basement
Furthermore, waterlogging caused traffic disruptions in multiple areas of the city, including Jayanagar, Kengeri, RR Nagar, and several other locations. A basement of an apartment complex in Thanisandra also flooded, requiring a six-hour operation by fire and emergency services personnel to drain the water and recover submerged cars and bikes.