Bengaluru underpass death: Bommai blames BBMP negligence | Azad Times

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, on Monday, May 22, accused the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials of negligence in implementing precautionary measures against heavy rains, despite warnings from the Meteorological Department. Bommai said during a media interaction in Bengaluru that it was painful that a life was lost as a direct result of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike's negligence.

“The BBMP officials had failed to take up precautionary measures despite the warning by the India Meteorological Department about heavy rain. It was painful that a woman lost her life though the rains lashed only for a few hours,” he told media persons. Further adding that he doesn’t remember anyone dying due to rains previously. 

"Heavy rains and underpass water logging happened before also but I don't remember any death happening before. That means there is a mishandling of the whole thing. The driver should have taken precautions, this could have been avoided and timely action by BBMP could have saved the life. There are some lapses, needs to look into it and it should be seen to it that this kind of a big loss does not happen." He also said that seasonal maintenance of the drainage system should have been done earlier.

Two people lost their lives in Bengaluru on Sunday, May 21 when rains wreaked havoc on the city. 22-year-old Bhanu Rekha was the first victim who died after the car she was travelling in with her family submerged due to waterlogging at the KR Circle underpass. The second victim was 31 year old Lokesh who worked as a housekeeper and died after slipping into a storm water drain.