Bengaluru Rain: Orange Alert Issued, Schools Closed Tomorrow; WFH Advised For Tech Firms

With heavy rains lashing Bengaluru, the city has been placed under an orange alert by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). In wake of this, the Karnataka government has declared a holiday for schools on Wednesday. The tech companies have also been advised to allow their employees to work from home.

Meanwhile colleges and universities will remain open. However, college principals have been given a set of safety guidelines to follow, ensuring students’ protection during these difficult weather conditions. Thursday, October 17, is a state government holiday for Valmiki Jayanti.

Bengaluru has been receiving incessant rainfall since early Tuesday morning, causing waterlogging and traffic jams at multiple locations in the city. IMD has issued a yellow alert — indicating worsening weather conditions that could disrupt daily life — for the districts of Tumakuru, Mysuru, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kolar, Shivamogga and Chikkaballapura in addition to coastal Karnataka. The weather agency has predicted gloomy skies and showers for the metropolis from October 14 to 17.

The city’s Manyata Tech Park, a major hub for technology companies, was severely waterlogged on Tuesday. Videos of flooded roads inside Manyata Tech Park, located in Nagawara, went viral on social media.

Motorists faced difficulties navigating through the city traffic due to the downpour as several roads in Varthur, Hebbal, Kadubeesanahalli, and surrounding areas were water-logged.

According to Traffic Police, gridlocks were reported on major roads including ORR, Tumakuru Road and Airport Road. Heavy waterlogging was also reported on Bellary Road at Hunsamaranahalli.

“Traffic towards airport is severely affected. Commuters are requested to plan their travel accordingly and use alternate routes,” a traffic police official urged.

Bengaluru’s civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), on Tuesday said that a flood management team is on pace to attend to the residents at any given point of time. In an announcement, BBMP said, “Following are the areas where it rained throughout the day, and there is a prediction that it may rain further in these areas until 8 am 16/10/2024. BBMP’s flood management systems are in place and operational. We are actively addressing and providing areas impacted by the rain.”

BBMP officials have been instructed to be on high alert. In a virtual meeting held by BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath, he advised all officials to stay prepared for any emergencies and to focus on flood-prone areas.

The city’s Marathalli Weather Union gauge has recorded 42.6mm since midnight. Bengaluru has already recorded 72mm of rainfall in October.

(With inputs from agencies)