The Helen Effect:?City drenched
Cyclone Helen effect, heavy rains that lashes Bangalore creating traffic worries.
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2013-11-24 11:22 GMT
Bangalore: Cars, bikes and autos had to make their way through knee deep water as Cyclone Helen brought heavy rains that lashed down on the city on Saturday evening. BMTC buses were submerged under the railway bridge near Kino Theatre, Seshadripuram.
Drivers and conductors made their escape by clambering onto the bridge overhead. According to reports, motorists were stuck in traffic for hours and some were forced to abandon their vehicles as rain water seeped into the engines. Others fell prey to the treacherous, pothole ridden roads.
Cyclone Helen, which entered Machipatnam on Friday afternoon, brought with it a thick cloud cover that raised Bangalore's minimum temperature from 18o C to 20o C. Rainfall measured 3.8 mm at around 8.30 pm on Saturday, with the Met department predicting more rain through the night.
Traffic was held up on several major roads, including Mysore Road, Airport Road, Indiranagar, Ulsoor and Brigade road, with traffic police working overtime to clear grid locks. More potholes are also likely surface over the next few days. The Chinnaswamy stadium MG Road stretch was chock a block with fuming commuters, as unruly driving practices on Infantry Road and surrounding areas only added to the bedlam.
The sudden downpour only served to expose the BBMP's utter lack of preparation. City dwellers complained that none of the telephone lines to the BBMP's control room were reachable. DC, after repeated attempts to reach the control room, received no response.