On his way back home from college, Mohan, a student from a village near Thippagondanahalli (T.G. Halli), stands near a bridge with his friends. All of them are captivated by the fury of nature, which has brought a “dead” river back to life. “I have never seen so much water in this river,” Mohan exclaims about the fast-flowing Arkavathy. As they watch, a group of fishermen from Mandya arrive in an auto-rickshaw to add to their catch.
The T.G. Halli reservoir, located at the confluence of the Arkavathy and Kumudavathi rivers, was once the source of piped water for Bengaluru.
Hours later, yet another yellow alert is issued for Bengaluru, just 40 km away. The recent bouts of rainfall have already battered Bengaluru and its surrounding districts. Roads, highways and tech parks are inundated, homes are flooded, critical infrastructure such as power and water pumping stations are waterlogged, and lakes are overflowing.
