“I am sick and tired of draining out water from my house every 15 days. I just hope to lead a regular life,” said an exhausted Sapna Uruvath, a resident of Koramangala 4th Block. Just after recovering from dengue, Sapna was planning to get back to work on Friday. But the rains changed all that.

When DH visited streets of Koramangala 4th Block, thick, black slush had covered the roads. While residents were busy clearing water from their homes, shopkeepers were trying hard not to lose their customers while draining water and drying their soaked goods.

Cars being towed away for repairs and pumps draining the water from basements was a common sight in Koramangala and Madiwala. Towels or clothes were not enough to prevent water from entering homes. Water gushed into the house M A Khalid, ex-joint commissioner, Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP). The living area resembled a pond.

His neighbour, Srinivasan, said all his documents were lost in the rain. “I have been living here since the late eighties. Never have I seen flooding of this magnitude,” he said.

The story of Sadiq Pasha, who owns a tyre shop near a storm water drain on Tavarekere main road, is different. “All the garbage gushes into shop through the opening in the drain and it takes hours to clean it,” said Pasha as he rushes to attend to his first customer in the afternoon.

As the construction of the rajakaluve has stopped midway, water entered the apartments in Gottigere. The collapse of a compound wall of Solaris Apartments next to Gunina Apartment has led to water logging. “Fortunately, residents of our apartment parked vehicles outside and they were saved from damage,” said Nikhil Bijapur, a resident of Gunina Iris Apartment.

Khalid said one of the reasons for accumulation of silt in drains is the rampant dumping of garbage. “Building proper retaining walls is not enough. People have to be responsible and not dump garbage in drains,” said Khalid.

Tired of rain woes, residents hope sunny days are back