Bengaluru Rains: Schools closed, work from home on Wednesday amid heavy showers

Amid intense rainfall, the Karnataka government issued an order declaring holidays for Bengaluru schools and colleges on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. The announcement comes after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) declared an orange alert in the city. Companies have also been advised to allow their employees to work from home as weather forecasts isolated heavy rainfall or thundershowers for the next few days.

Bengaluru Urban District collector Jagadeesha directed orders on Tuesday evening. Incessant showers hit Bengaluru since morning causing waterlogging and traffic jams in various regions in the city. According to IMD, the city was expected to witness heavy rain throughout the day. The agency forecasted heavy rain to persist on October 16, impacting Bengaluru and surrounding districts like Chamarajanagar, Mandya, and Ramanagara, lasting through October 17.

Amid rains, the government college will remain open, with a set of guidelines for post-graduation, diploma colleges and ITIs to ensure students' safety. There have been directives issued to most schools to conduct online classes for higher grades. Thursday, October 17, is already a state government holiday for Valmiki Jayanti. Earlier, Bengaluru’s civic body announced that a flood management team is operational to cater to the residents in time of need. Meanwhile, Bengaluru’s Chowdeswari Nagar saw 73.5 mm of rainfall, the highest in the city, followed by the Jakkur belt which recorded 65.5 mm of rainfall.

Tamil Nadu is also facing a similar situation to Bengaluru. Tamil Chief Minister MK Stalin had declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, and Chengalpattu districts on October 15. The government directed orders as a precaution after reviewing IMD’s forecast of heavy rain which is expected to intensify in the next few days. It is believed that the low-pressure system is likely to move towards the coasts of north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and south Andhra Pradesh.