Normal life, traffic, power supply disrupted, roads turn into rivers, trees uprooted in yesterday’s downpour

Mysore/Mysuru: Heavy downpour not only disrupted normal life in city yesterday evening but also disrupted traffic and power supply leaving tourists, who had come to city to view Dasara illumination, a disappointed lot. Giving small breaks, the rain continued to pour till late night.

Rains, which had given break for two days, began to pour at about 6.30 pm causing people, most of them returning homes from work, to take shelter in bus stands, petrol bunks, hotels, big buildings, under the bridges etc. Even those driving four-wheelers, had to stop on roadsides and switch on the hazard indicator lights to warn others due to poor visibility following heavy downpour.

Roads turn into rivers: The intensity of the rain which increased gradually turned roads into rivers, flooded houses and other buildings in low-lying areas besides making drains and even storm water drains to overflow. Devaraj Urs Road, Sayyaji Rao Road, JLB Road, Mahadevapura Road, Adichunchanagiri Road, Chamaraja Double Road, New Kantharaj Urs Road, MG Road and roads in Bannimantap, Kuvempunagar, Ramakrishnanagar, Siddarthanagar, Allanahalli, Udayagiri, Saraswathipuram, Agrahara, Gangothri Layout, Bogadi 2nd Stage, Vijayanagar, Paduvarahalli, Kumbarakoppal and other localities were flooded and water was flowing in full force resembling overflowing streams. This caused a lot of inconvenience to two-wheeler riders and pedestrians, who were completely drenched.

Houses flooded, trees uprooted: More than 50 houses in low-lying areas such as 6th and 7th Cross in Janata Nagar, near Saalumarada Thimmakka Park in Dattagalli, Gangotri Layout, behind Basaveshwara Kalyana Mantap in Paduvarahalli, Ghousianagar etc. were flooded with rain water and the residents had a tough time removing water from their houses.

Mysuru City Corporation’s (MCC’s) Abhaya team members Manju, Shivu, Ravichandra, Nagendra and others, who rushed to the above places, helped the residents to remove rain water from houses.

Huge trees near DC Office and on Maharaja’s College Grounds were uprooted and the MCC staff was seen clearing the trees and fallen branches this morning.

Tourists disappointed: Tourists, who had come to city from other places just to view Dasara illumination on various city roads, were a disappointed lot as heavy rains began to lash across the city about 6.30 pm disrupting the visibility. Also, CESC officials as a precautionary measure switched off power supply at some places. LED light illumination on a few roads was also cut off.

Agricultural fields flooded: Meanwhile, farmers of Hallikeri Hundi, Varuna hobli in the taluk, who called SOM Office this morning, said that the agricultural fields belonging to Govindu, Kuntegowda and Narayana were flooded and resembled a lake following heavy rains yesterday.

They said that their fields get inundated with rain water every time when there is heavy rains destroying crops and causing loss in revenue. They said that they take loans from banks for cultivation and following rains causing losses, they have to pledge valuables to repay the loans.

Heavy rains to continue today too: Meanwhile, sources at Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, Bengaluru, said that Mysuru city had recorded 10 cm rain yesterday and added that heavy rains would continue today in Mysuru district and surrounding places.