Five reasons why rain means pain for Bengaluru

Bengaluru, July 1: Finally, the rain god has relented. After a long dry spell, which resulted in severe drought conditions in 13 states of the country, rains are here to cheer us all. India's IT hub Bengaluru, which witnessed a drastic rise in temperature during April and May, too eagerly waited for the rains.

The city received regular rainfall in June. According to the Meteorological Department, the city recorded a monthly average of 89.1 mm rainfall in June. The Meteorological Department predicted that the city would receive heavy showers in July.

The regular showers, especially during the evening hours, have significantly brought down the temperature. The much-relieved residents of the IT hub are delighted that the "good old" Bengaluru weather is back. However, not all are happy with the rains. They have their own good reasons. Rains bring several woes to the residents. Here we list five of them:

Waterlogging

Waterlogging has become a regular feature on the streets of several localities in the city. "I am a resident of the BTM layout. In my locality several streets are waterlogged.

It is impossible to commute during the rains. The waterlogged areas have also become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, increasing the risk of mosquito-borne diseases," said Mukta Jain, an IT professional.

Overflowing drains

The Church Street, also a favourite hangout area of the youngsters in the city, stinks like "shit" during rainy days as dirty water from drains overflows on the roads. Clogged roads, overflowing with sewage water, make it impossible for pedestrians to walk.

Media reports say several owners of the pubs situated in the Church Street have approached the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to address the issue. Because of the bad road conditions, the watering holes have witnessed significant fall in the number of patrons frequenting them.

Traffic jam

Bengaluru is infamous for traffic snarls. And on rainy days, the traffic on roads goes from bad to worse. It is a well-known fact that even if it rains for a couple of minutes in the city, the traffic goes for a toss. Because of bumper-to-bumper traffic, office-goers and school children suffer the most.

Dengue epidemic

Last year, the city along with the rest of Karnataka reported 5,077 dengue and 2,099 chikungunya cases. Even nine persons died due to dengue.

According to official records, a total 834 cases of dengue and 304 cases of chikungunya have been reported in the state during January-May 2016. During monsoon season, city hospitals witness a rise in number of patients suffering from mosquito-borne diseases.

Dug up roads, unattended garbage and power cuts

The most difficult things to swim through during the wet days are dug up roads, unattended garbage and frequent power cuts, say residents. We have decided to club all the three civic irritants together as these problems have become part and parcel of city's life, be it monsoon, summer or winter.

All the above listed problems are not unique to Bengaluru. In spite of all the slogans of Swachh Bharat and Smart Cities propagated by the Narendra Modi government, on the ground most of the Indian cities are fighting various civic and infrastructural battles. Till things are sorted out, let us try to enjoy the rains with piping hot chai and pakoras. Cheers.

OneIndia News