Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said the Karnataka government would soon bring in a law to ban basement parking in low-lying areas of Bengaluru. The announcement came after two men, Manmohan Kamath and Dinesh, were electrocuted near NS Palya in BTM Layout 2nd Stage during heavy rainfall.

“This has been a major experience for all of us,” said Shivakumar, who is also Bengaluru Development Minister, after visiting the incident site along with civic officials. He said basements in such areas have proven risky, especially during continuous downpours when water logging leads to electric shocks from submerged equipment.

“I told my office just three days ago that we must prohibit the construction of basements in low-lying areas. Car parking should instead be mandated on the first floor. Pumps below ground level — like in this case and earlier in Rajarajeshwari Nagar — create major problems,” he said.

Shivakumar said he is committed to bringing in urban planning reforms through legislation and called for serious discussions on how Bengaluru should build better for extreme weather.

“Even 30 years ago, the BDA tried to handle this. Their intentions were good, to drain the water and help residents, but unfortunately, even our own staff and police officers got electric shocks while trying to help,” he added.

DK Shivakumar said Rs 5 lakh compensation would be provided to each affected family, and losses of cattle like cows and buffaloes would also be compensated. A revised comprehensive action plan will be released once the rain subsides, he said.

Shivakumar also pointed out that 144 problematic electric points had been addressed over the past two years, but acknowledged that the system failed in a few locations.

“We know residents have to get to work, and when it rains continuously for over two hours, it becomes very difficult. We’ve deployed officers on site round the clock,” he said.

When asked about the lack of response from BBMP and BWSSB, Shivakumar admitted there was no concrete response this time but said he had instructed officials to monitor visuals in real-time using CCTV and coordinate with the police. “I’ve approved 24×7 war room monitoring,” he said.

Responding to criticism and memes on social media, Shivakumar took a dig at the people who posted them. “Those who mock Bengaluru aren’t damaging our government’s image, they’re harming the city’s identity. People may laugh and criticize, but their voices will fade. Our work will speak for itself,” he said.

He also brushed aside political attacks, especially from the BJP. “Let them talk. What did they do during their time? When Modi completed five years, they celebrated. We’re marking two years of our government and are proud of the work we’ve done,” he said.

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