CRACKING SILICON

Industry experts feel Brand Bengaluru can withstand floods, but immediate steps need to be taken to protect the city

- PRATHIMA NANDAKUMAR AND ABHINAV SINGH

One night of relentless rain, and even the richest tech bosses were stranded in knee-deep waters in their plush homes, looking for coracles to reach safety. According to the India Meteorological Department, Bengaluru received 370mm of rainfall this August (131.66mm on August 30), falling just short of the all-time record of 387mm in August 1998.

This day was expected. Over the years, rampant corruption in the civic body had led to massive encroachment on lakes, lake beds, rajakaluves (storm-water drains) and the buffer zone, concocting a recipe for disaster.

As the skies emptied, the floodgates opened on social media. Photos of a rain-lashed Bengaluru spread worldwide, calling into question its status as the country’s IT capital.

Now, as the water clears, the city has to work overtime to safeguard its image globally. “For the first time in Bengaluru’s history, people have fled their homes on boats,” said former chief minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah. “The flooding of the IT corridor has affected Brand Bengaluru.”

The blame game continued. While state Congress president D.K. Shivakumar asked what stopped the ruling BJP from clearing the encroachments, former chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy dared Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to release a white paper on the encroachments and the names of those guilty.