Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on October 16 lashed out at the opposition parties for shaming Bengaluru over the rain fury.
“It is not possible to control nature. The government is doing the best it can to manage the rain havoc. The opposition parties must stop tarnishing the image of Bengaluru,” he said while speaking to reporters at his Sadashivanagar residence.
Asked about the heavy rains in Bengaluru, Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru development portfolio, said, “A holiday has been declared for schools as a precautionary measure. There is a likelihood of more rain today, which may lead to traffic jams. The public should plan accordingly.”
Also, read: Manyata Tech Park in Bengaluru flooded; techies demand WFH, govt announces holiday for schools
“I will hold another round of meetings with officials of the BBMP, police department, and fire department to take stock of the situation,” he said.
Asked about tweets from opposition leaders regarding Bengaluru’s rains, he said, “Can we tell nature to stop the rains? These are unexpected rains due to cyclones. The government and the people of Bengaluru are capable of handling it.”
Also, read: Bengaluru roads are better than Delhi: DK Shivakumar
Opposition leaders have slammed the government. JD(S) leader and Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel HD Kumaraswamy wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Bengaluru's rain fury has exposed the utter collapse of infrastructure! The Silicon Valley of India is now drowning in @INCKarnataka’s negligence. The IT corridor is flooded, roads are impassable, and the city is sinking. This isn't just rain, it's the failure of governance. Congress' weak policies have ruined Brand Bengaluru. Potential investors are backing off, questioning how a 'global tech hub' can't handle basic urban management. Wake up! The city's future is at stake."
Deputy leader of opposition in the Karnataka legislative assembly Arvind Bellad also wrote on X: "The whole of Bengaluru is drowning after just one day of rain! Roads in Manyata Tech Park and beyond are submerged, with employees unable to reach their workplaces, and businesses facing massive disruptions".
Also, read: Bengaluru rains trigger waterlogging, wall collapse: Spotlight on Phoenix Mall, Manyata Tech 'Falls'
"Industries are suffering due to the city’s crumbling infrastructure, which is the government’s prime responsibility. Is this the ‘Brand Bengaluru’ that the @siddaramaiah-led @INCKarnataka government keeps boasting about? If the city can’t withstand a single day of rain, where’s the planning, accountability, and commitment to its citizens?” he added.
Shivakumar, who has been pushing for tunnel roads, skydecks, double-decker flyovers, Metro extensions to the outskirts, and an amusement park near the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam in Mandya district under his pet project 'Brand Bengaluru,' is facing criticism from the public for the crumbling infrastructure of the city's tech capital.
Also, read: 'Brand Bengaluru' caught between DK Shivakumar’s vanity projects and city's crumbling infra
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