RAIN BRINGS B'LURU TO ITS KNEES

Bengaluru finally witnessed rain on Wednesday afternoon after many weeks of intense heat. However, the heavy rain brought with it falling branches, traffic congestion, and injuries. Near Jain College on JC Road, a large branch fell on the footpath, parked scooters, and the road, including two-wheelers parked along the stretch. Motorists had hurriedly parked their bikes and rushed into a building, unable to ride through the heavy rain, and were left helplessly watching their vehicles trapped under the fallen branch. An advocate present at the scene spoke with one of the vehicle owners and told him that insurance would probably not cover the cost of repairs as it was an act of God. Many citizens welcomed the rain as it meant temperatures would drop. Worrinphi Shimray said, "Bangalore has felt like a heat chamber for quite some time, so this long-awaited rain was such a relief. I can finally sleep peacefully tonight. My colleagues and I even paused work just to play in the rain." Worrinphi also witnessed hailstones falling during the rain, which was accompanied by strong gusts of wind and thunder. Sam Verghese, a resident of Hebbal, said, "There is a storm going on here. It's been a long time since it rained, and it's very good that it finally has. The heat had become very uncomfortable."
Motorists, however, suffered crawling traffic due to fallen branches and flooding. Traffic in front of Vidhana Soudha slowed to a crawl, and the road in front of the M.S. Building was flooded. Venkatesh, an auto driver, complained, “Nothing is proper about this city. Every time it rains, the roads flood. There is not a single proper road in the city. And when it rains, the traffic becomes worse. See how much traffic there is here. The light is green, but nobody is moving,” he said while stuck in traffic. Plant matter could be seen all over the roads immediately after the rain. Many branches had fallen on the footpaths and roads, adding to the disruption.