India's Silicone Valley, Bengaluru, is reeling with flooding of several areas as heavy rains lashed the city. The neighbouring districts like Ramanagara have also witnessed a lot of damages.
Visuals on the internet show people in Bengaluru crossing streets using boats and tractors as the city continues to grapple with waterlogging.
Neighbouring Telangana's minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday made a slew of observations regarding the situation in Bengaluru. KTR tweeted that the city has undergone rapid urbanization and sub-urbanization but enough capital was not spent on upgrading the infrastructure.
"To all those who are mocking the water-logged Bengaluru: Our cities are our primary economic engines driving the States’/Country’s growth. With rapid urbanization & sub-urbanization, infrastructure is bound to crumble as we haven’t infused enough capital into upgrading the same. No Indian city (including my state’s capital city) today is immune to the disastrous consequences of climate change," he wrote.
The minister further stated, "If India has to continue to grow, we need well-laid, concerted capital allocations of Union and State Governments combined into radical improvement in infrastructure."
KTR said that India needs bold reforms in urban planning and governance.
Noting that systems to provide better roads, water, air and better storm water management system is not difficult to build but needs "capital infusion". He called on Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri to take necessary steps and extended help.
"I am aware that some of friends in Hyderabad will not like what I said because in the past, we were taunted by some Bengaluru leaders in similar situations. But if we have to grow as a nation, we need to learn from each others’ experiences & show the might of collective will," he wrote.
