Date:09/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/09/stories/2006050920890300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Before monsoon strikes...

Staff Reporter

Bangalore's already overstretched infrastructure crumbled last year, under the onslaught of rains that inundated vast swathes of low-lying areas, virtually cut off several residential localities, flooded roads and brought down hundreds of trees. Harried citizens looked up to the authorities for help, but all they got were clogged drains, blocked roads and unending delays. Governance struggled. For several weeks, Bangaloreans suffered as the rains unleashed their fury.

With monsoons just round the corner, are the authorities better prepared now? Is the infrastructure in place to combat the problem in a coordinated, professional manner this year?

The Hindu takes a comprehensive reality check with a new series "Before the monsoon strikes... "