Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah's inspection of flood-hit areas in the IT corridors of Bengaluru last week became a topic of amusing debate in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, with focus on the exact depth of the waters.
Mr. Siddaramaiah, who initiated a debate on rain havoc in the State, said Bengaluru city received 132 mm rain on September 4 and this caused flooding in residential layouts in Mahadevapura, and that he used a boat to visit Epsilon residential layout in Yemalur.
“I went to Yemalur in the Mahadevapura zone where CEOs and celebrities live. One needed a boat to go there,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said, referring to the upscale residential layout which was under water.
Immediately, Aravind Limbavali (BJP) told Mr. Siddaramaiah that he was “misguided” on using the boat as there was another road to reach the layout. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai butted in to say that Mr. Siddaramaiah had used a boat for just 1.5 feet deep water on the road.
Mr. Siddaramaiah countered and said a boat cannot float on 1.5 feet water. Mr. Bommai insisted that he had seen images of a man standing in knee-deep water to push his boat. And then, the Chief Minister proudly chipped in: "I inspected the waterlogged area by a walk where there was 3 feet of water."
Mr. Limbavali said that some people might have told Mr. Siddaramaiah to use the boat considering his age and that Mr. Bommai is younger than the Congress leader.
The Leader of the Opposition then grew serious and said the use of the boat was not a contested issue. When he went in the boat there was 3-4 feet water and he travelled on a boat for a distance of 500 m, he insisted. He had seen many cars submerged under water which means water was about 4 feet. He also went to Rainbow Layout and listened to the grievances of the people, Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
