Why Cognizant employees have to work from home in Bengaluru
What's the story
Cognizant has ordered work from home for its employees in Bengaluru, after two days of incessant rainfall in the city.
The US-based IT services giant, which employs nearly 40,000 people in India's tech hub, took the decision to keep its workforce safe amid the continuing weather crisis.
The move comes after a night of unending rain submerged large parts of Bengaluru's tech corridors.
Weather impact
Rains disrupt daily life and commute
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Karnataka government, Bengaluru received nearly 240mm of rainfall in just two days.
The city witnessed a whopping 104mm of rain on Sunday alone, resulting in severe flooding in several residential areas.
The unprecedented downpour has disrupted daily commutes and normal life across major IT hubs, leaving hundreds of tech professionals scrambling without formal work-from-home advisories from most companies.
Corporate response
Infosys follows 3-day work-from-office policy
Infosys, India's second-largest IT services exporter, has a three-day work-from-office policy. It has not issued any fresh advisories.
L&T Technology Services has also not issued any mandate for work from home.
An insider revealed to Moneycontrol that "L&T Tech Services is very flexible with employees coming to the office and whatever time they choose."
Areas affected
Key neighborhoods severely impacted by downpour
Key neighborhoods like Koramangala, BTM Layout, HSR Layout, and Marathahalli bore the brunt of the downpour.
Arterial roads and underpasses were submerged, with Silk Board Junction becoming virtually impassable.
Stormwater gushed through service roads, choking underpasses and blocking movement for interstate buses from Kerala and Tamil Nadu that had queued at the junction.
Manyata Tech Park also witnessed similar disruptions as entry points were submerged in knee-deep water.