The IT city of Bengaluru was too affected by rain which battered Tamil Nadu and Chennai. Bengaluru, which shares its boundary with Tamil Nadu has historical trade, commerce and Information Technology links apart from migration with Tamil Nadu, has been facing the wrath of the nature which inundated Chennai.
As most of the IT companies remained closed in Chennai they have temporarily shifted their work to Bengaluru and have relocated some of the professionals to work here.
Chennai, which houses major IT players like Wipro, TCS, Infosys, IBM, Accenture and employs more than 11 per cent of the total IT workforce in the country has been the worst affected by the record rain which deluged Chennai.
Bengaluru, with full throttle social media at work, has collected medicines, food, blankets for Chennai. Teams were organised to pick up food, containers, blankets, medicines, raincoats and umbrellas across Bengaluru with messages spread on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp.
Ravi, a vice-president in an IT company in Chennai, said he was lucky to escape the rain fury where he was caught on a terrace of his office. He was later rescued and moved to Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, Federation of Karnataka lorry Owners’ Association has announced that they would be running free truck service to Chennai to shift relief material from Bengaluru.
GR Shanmugappa, President, Federation of Karnataka lorry Owners’ Association said, “We will be operating free trucks to Chennai from Saturday. Those who want to send relief material can contact us. As soon as there is enough material for one load, we will send a truck. This will continue till material is being contributed”.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced Rs5 crore to flood affected people of Tamil Nadu.
SK Pattanaik, secretary, Home said, “We have conveyed to the Tamil Nadu Government our willingness to rush teams of fire and emergency services to Chennai. They said that they would seek help as and when required.”
Bengaluru which supplies vegetables and Milk to Tamil Nadu is facing a glut and has affected the business. Karnataka Co-operative Milk Producers Federation ltd. (KMF) used to supply over 12,000 litres of Nandini milk to Chennai every day. This has been discontinued in the past three days. “The transport routes are disrupted,” a senior official said. Stranded lorries carrying rice and other pulses to Tamil Nadu are stranded on National Highway 4, on the outskirts of Chennai.