Dr B Thomas (Special correspondent)
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has constituted Task Forces for each of the 8 BBMP Zones in Bengaluru headed by the ministers to oversee rescue and relief works during flooding and other emergencies.
The Task Forces would have local MLAs, MPs and BBMP officials as its members.
The details of the Zonal Task Forces are as given below.
* R Ashok-South Zone.
* Ashwathnarayan-East Zone.
* V Somanna- West Zone.
* ST Somashekar-RR Nagar Zone.
* Byrathi Basavaraj-Mahadevapura Zone.
* Gopalaiah-Bommanahalli Zone.
* Muniratna- Yelahanka and Dasarahalli Zone.
While R. Ashok will head the South Zone Task Force, C.N. Aswath Narayan for East Zone, V. Somanna for West Zone, S.T. Somashekhar for R.R. Nagar Zone, Byrathi Basavaraj for Mahadevapura Zone, K. Gopalaiah for Bommanahalli Zone, and Munirathna for Yelahanka and Dasarahalli zones. Most of the Ministers have not been assigned to the zones where their respective Assembly constituencies fall.
On Sunday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)-Bengaluru forecast that there would be isolated to scattered very light to light rains over the city. Maximum & Minimum temperatures are likely to be around 27- & 20-degree C respectively, it added.
Unseasonal rains threw life out of gear in the Bengaluru capital, and the situation is likely to get worse as monsoons are expected sometime in early June,according to weather experts.
Last Thursday,Bommai,along with MLAs and ministers from the city and officials,visited several rain-affected areas like J C Nagar, Nagavara, HBR Layout, Hebbal and STP plants there to personally assess the situation.
Several areas were flooded,and houses were inundated in many parts of the city following the torrential rain that lashed Bengaluru on Tuesday night and incessant rains thereafter.
At least two people have so far died in Bengaluru and the Bommai government has announced Rs.25000 as relief for houses which were flooded due to heavy rains last week.
The government is yet to make a full loss assessment in Bengaluru and other parts of the state.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state has come under sharp criticism for the lack of mapping and data on the city’s various drainage systems.
The lack of maintenance and poor designs have made the city into a flooding nightmare, people aware of the developments said.
The developments come ahead of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections, which are supposed to be held within ten weeks as stated by the government to the Supreme Court.
