CHILLY, HAZY DAYS ahead for B'luru; brace for the cold

Incessant rain with cold weather set to continue, says IMD’s forecast as intermittent showers flood city parts

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka will continue to receive rainfall for the next two days owing to the impact of Cyclone Fengal that has now weakened, the India Meteorological Department said on Monday. Rainfall is likely to decrease from Wednesday onwards in these places, a weather official said. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the Old Airport station recorded 16.6 millimetre of rainfall while the city recorded 14.2 mm of rain. Roads in a few pockets of the city were heavily inundated. According to data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), Ward 113 Konena Agrahara in the East zone of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was the wettest, at 27.5mm.

Although districts like Mysuru and Chamarajanagar in South Interior Karnataka have announced holidays for schools, such orders are highly unlikely in Bengaluru. Due to overnight rains, the arterial roads of the city also faced heavy traffic in the morning, according to Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP).

Mr Mahadeva, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Traffic South East, said that the slow-moving traffic could be because of the switch from two-wheelers to four-wheelers by commuters to save themslves from the rain. To add to their commuting woes, people had a difficult time with ride-hailing apps, with surge pricing due to rain coming into play. Samantha, a private employee at SG Palya, for instance, decided to hail a cab, amidst the rainfall. “However, the surge pricing makes the fares not just double, but sometimes triple the normal rate. It's frustrating to see regular auto drivers also taking advantage of the situation by inflating prices during the rain,” she said, adding that despite her willingness to pay the same, she could not get a cab on time.

The BTP also flagged waterlogging on the following roads: Ejipura road at Sony World signal, Sanjaynagar cross, Chikkalasandra, Horamavu road towards K R Puram, Kodichikkanahalli road towards Bommanahalli, Bashyam Circle towards Kaveri junction, Nagawara junction, Windsor Manor underpass, Old Mysuru Road railway underpass and parts of Bannerghatta Road. Heavy rain has been forecast for Tuesday. BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath told reporters on Monday that moderate to rainfall with gusty winds is likely. “Around 80 JCBs are ready to clear tree falls," he added. Areas on the outskirts like Bommanahalli and Mahadevapura will have to brace for at least 90mm of rainfall, according to KSNDMC.