Rain havoc in Ramanagara: Highway out of bounds

Flash floods brought about by torrential rains caused widespread destruction in Ramanagara district on Monday, killing at least two people, rendering thousands homeless and effectively shutting the expansive national highway that links Bengaluru and Mysuru.

The district that had seen drought for 11 successive years was brought to its knees as it received nearly 150 mm of rainfall in just 24 hours.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Ramanagara, Bengaluru and all other parts of South Interior Karnataka for the next five days, said A Prasad, Scientist-D, at the met centre in Bengaluru.

A man died after being crushed by an uprooted tree near Bidadi while a woman drowned in Doddamallur Lake near Channapatna, an official said.

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The rain havoc was triggered by more than 30 overflowing lakes, including three waterbodies that were breached (Bhakshikere and Kodappana lakes in Ramanagara and Anchikuppe Kere near Magadi). The rainwater entered residential localities, farmlands and roads.

Ramanagara Superintendent of Police K Santosh Babu said most of the damage was reported from areas that lacked proper stormwater drains. “Since Ramanagara is prone to drought, many ponds and lakes have been encroached upon. In many of the flood-affected areas, houses were built for the poor under the government’s Ashraya scheme,” he told DH. Around 3,800 houses have been damaged, he added.

The rain fury was most evident on the 10-lane Bengaluru-Mysuru national highway, parts of which were only recently opened to traffic. Many private buses got stuck in flooded underpasses, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. The SP said private bus operators had disregarded the advisory against plying on the highway.

Videos shared on social media showed private vehicles being washed away in the flash floods. The SP said car drivers had entered the highway from villages against the advisory.

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With the rain unlikely to relent, authorities have asked citizens not to use the highway and warned of four chokepoints — Kanminike Cross, near Kumbalgodu; Kethigenahalli, near Bidadi, Basavanapura underpass, near Ramanagar and Thikmaranahalli.

Vehicles have been asked to take a detour via Kanakapura and Kunigal.

IT professional Sudharshan Rao was among those stuck in the early morning traffic on the highway. Rao and his family were travelling from Kerala and wanted to reach Bengaluru before the peak hour. “We were stuck from 5.30 am until 7.30 am. It was slow-moving traffic after that. Buses, transport vehicles, bikes and other inter-state vehicles were stuck and there was no way we could beat the jam,” Rao said.

Many vehicle users, like Kumar Jain, a businessman, had to abandon their cars as they broke down in the floodwater. “I had to wade through knee-deep water with my luggage to get out of the mess. There were no buses, cabs or other vehicles. I had to ask my friend to drive up to Mysuru Road and then get home,” he added.