Pump rentals go through the roof in Bengaluru

With demand for pump sets — to drain rainwater out of homes — soaring, rental agencies are fleecing residents, charging as much as 500% more than usual.
On a given day, agencies charge Rs 2,000 per day to rent a 2BP pump, but over the past week, they have increased rates to as much as Rs 12,000, besides an additional Rs 1,000 as night allowance for the operator.
Monday night’s rain has heightened woes, with basements of apartments near Nallurhalli lake still flooded. Respite appears to be elusive for nearly five residential apartments as rain is expected over the next few days. Besides water in basements, walls of Tez and BM Glorietta have collapsed.
Venkatesh Adikesavan of GSR Srinivasam apartment said his family has spent Rs60,000 over the past week on renting pump sets. “On Monday, we stopped using pumps as it was turning out to be a futile exercise. Just 15 minutes after emptying the basement, water from a nearby lake is flowing back in,” he said. GSR Srinivasam has 32 apartments.
Shakespeare, a resident of Malibu Paloma, said he paid Rs 14,000 including transport and allowance to the operator for a pump. Malibu hired two pump sets over the past three days and residents spent Rs 40,000 on rentals alone. The apartment has now bought a set that can pump 1,100 litres of water/minute.
From Rs 2,000 per day to rent a 2BP pump, agencies have increased rates to as much as Rs 12,000