Click to play videoBangalore: Open drains have literally turned into a death trap in Bangalore. A woman was washed away into one of the overflowing drains on Saturday after it rained heavily and the water flooded the streets.
While the authorities play the blame game, for those searching for their family members there's little hope. K Ramu, a cart-shop owner lost his sister Laxmi who was washed away in the drain water. The Municipal authorities carried a search operation but to no avail.
“The corporation sent only three people to look for the missing persons. And they all left after a short while. Had someone rich had died, they would have surely paid more heed,” said the victim's brother.
Another survivor Latha tells her story. She almost got washed away in the rains but managed to escape by holding on to a pipe. “When it began raining, I didn't even realize it would start flooding. I felt my cart being pushed around and realized it was already in the drain. I managed to swim out and held on to a water pipe.”
The authorities blame the drainage system for the havoc caused during the pre-monsoon showers. Two-years ago, the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike had sanctioned over Rs 760 crore to de-silt and remodel the drains in the city. But even after 24 months, only 25 percent of the work has been completed. The civic officials refuse to comment on the crisis situation.
Over the last five-years, no monsoon has gone by without a tragic story like Laxmi's. But this year tragedy seems to have stuck early, with just one heavy pre-monsoon downpour.
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