People walk beside a bus on a flooded road in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, on September 5, 2022. This screen grab taken from a social media video. Mallika Nallusamy/via REUTERS
BENGALURU: Much of India’s tech capital Bengaluru was submerged on Monday after heavy rains uprooted trees, paralyzed traffic and forced offices to issue work-from-home orders to employees.
Data compiled by the state-run Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) showed 28.1 mm of precipitation in urban Bangalore on Sunday, 368% above average.
Since the monsoon season began on June 1st, the city has received 141% more precipitation than average.
Home to a range of global companies and domestic start-ups, Bengaluru has established itself as an important business center in the southern region of the country.
“Bengaluru and southern Karnataka are likely to experience heavy rains until Friday. Rainfall activity will decline from Saturday,” said a senior meteorological official at Pune-based IMD.
On Monday, sources told Reuters that Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. have asked their employees to work from home. IT giant Wipro Ltd and Walmart’s Flipkart said they have asked their employees to work from home.
Krishna Kumar, General Manager, Association of Outer Ring Road Companies (ORRCA) said:
This group represents companies with offices on the Outer Ring Road, which serves as the city’s main connector.
“Authorities need to focus on expanding infrastructure,” said Kumar.
Monday’s floods forced citizens to empty their basements and parking lots, spend more time on busy roads and face power outages in some places.
“We all live in fear right now,” said Deepa Babu, a psychologist who counsels adolescents and lives on Rainbow Drive, an enclave near the city’s main tech hub. rice field.
“The boundary wall next to our house just collapsed yesterday,” she added.
