Unacademy CEO's family evacuated on tractor in rain-battered Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Sep 6 Heavy rainfall in Bengaluru continued to affect people's lives in the Silicon City on Tuesday, forcing the authorities to press tractors and boats into service to wade through the inundated roads.

A video of the family members of Gaurav Munjal, CEO of the startup Unacademy, including a pet dog being shifted to a safer place in a tractor has gone viral on social media.

"Family and my pet Albus have been evacuated on a tractor from our society that's now submerged. Things are bad. Please take care. DM me if you need any help, I'll try my best to help," Munjal tweeted.

Meanwhile, industrialist Anand Mahindra has appreciated the spirit of the city's youth who could be seen travelling on a JCB on a waterlogged street to reach their workplace.

Sharing the video which shows a group of people standing on the tip of the JCB wading through the inundated road, Mahindra wrote: "Where there's a will, there's a way."

Heavy rains have caused havoc in the Rainbow Drive Layout on Sarjapur Road. Fire Force ADGP P. Harishekaran said considering the seriousness of the matter, 1,000 firemen have been deputed in the locality to take up relief measures.

Apart from this, 300 staff from the NDRF have been deputed in the affected area. Twenty boats have been used to shift people while 55 vehicles have been engaged for reaching out to the affected people.

"Of the 500 houses in the layout, 150 are completely inundated. It will take another week for the water to recede. The relief teams are operating on round the clock," the ADGP said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said in Mysuru that it is wrong on the part of Congress to target the ruling party when there is a crisis in the state due to heavy rains.

He said the present situation is the result of the misrule of the earlier Congress government. Among the eight zones in Bengaluru, Mahadevapura and Bommanahalli zones are affected. The flooding is due to encroachments, he claimed.

Amid the flood-like stiuation, snakes and scorpions were seen entering the houses, triggering panic among the residents.