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Overnight rains cause widespread waterlogging in Bengaluru; traffic advisory issued

BBMP said that the department has been working on clearing the waterlogging in several areas including main roads in the city.

South First Desk

Published Aug 12, 2024 | 3:03 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 12, 2024 | 3:03 PM

Waterlogging in Bengaluru. (X)

Waterlogging in Bengaluru. (X)

Heavy overnight rains in Bengaluru caused widespread flooding on Monday, 12 August, disrupting traffic and submerging roads, particularly in low-lying areas.

Affected areas include KR Market, which turned into a muddy mess, and an underpass near Jakkur in Yelahanka, where motorists struggled due to waterlogging.

On the Outer Ring Road between Nagawara Junction and Hebbal, traffic slowed down due to rainwater stagnation.

Also Read: Two Greater Bengaluru Governance Bills: Which one works better?

Apartment basement flooded

In Marathahalli, the basement of Sonesta Silver Oak Apartments was completely flooded, and a wall collapsed, posing a significant danger to residents.

Meanwhile, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) authorities said on X that the disaster management has been dewatering the apartment premises.

Roads were submerged up to two feet at the Silk Board Junction. Overflowing manholes added to the chaos, a recurring issue during heavy rains in the city.

BBMP also said that the department has been working on clearing the waterlogging in several areas including main roads in the city.

Deputy CM visits affected areas

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is also in charge of Bengaluru development, visited some of the rain-affected areas to assess the situation.

“If water has entered apartments and houses, let’s rectify it. We want the ground water levels to increase,” he said.

Noting that areas around Bengaluru like Ramanagra, Channapatna, Kanakapura, Magadi, Tumakuru, Kunigal and Kolar have not received good rains, he further said: “Malnad, coastal and other places have received rains so that dams are filled, but here rains are not enough, ground water levels have to increase.”

Bangalore South MP and BJP leader Tejasvi Surya said the waterlogging and flooding in Bengaluru, after a few hours of rain in the early morning, once again exposed the absence of municipal leadership in the city.

“For long, we have implemented band-aid solutions to Bengaluru’s traffic problem and poor urban infra, instead of approaching it from the perspective of a well-structured town planning body. Such solutions only fix the symptom and is not the remedy for the problem itself, he posted on ‘X’.

He said ‘Brand Bengaluru’ stands for technology innovation, unmatched talent pool and rich local culture, but sadly, “only the traffic, water logging, potholes and garbage management issues seem to be marking our brand.”

“I had highlighted how the city lacks a directly-elected mayor with a workable term of 3-5 years who can be held accountable for the city’s urban infra. Global cities like London, New York and Paris have such strong powerful mayors looking solely into the city’s needs,” Surya said.

He said the Congress government has neither taken any step to form the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority nor has it delegated traffic engineers any power to plan the traffic management of the city. “Unless we take up town planning and rework on our layouts, ‘Brand Bengaluru’ will remain a dream.”

Police issue advisory

The Bengaluru Traffic Police also issued a slow-moving traffic advisory following the waterlogging on roads.

“Slow-moving traffic due to Water logging at Hebbala Flyover Upper ramp towards City And Hebbala Flyover Down ramp towards Airport ,Kindly co operate,” they wrote on X.

Meanwhile, frustrated citizens vented out their anger on social media asking whether they should own boats to navigate through Bengaluru roads.

“In a stunning turn of events, Bengaluru, the bustling IT hub, woke up to a downpour that could rival monsoon season. The city, known for its chaotic traffic, found a new contender for the title of ‘Worst Thing to Navigate’: waterlogged streets. As the rain poured, so did the complaints on Twitter, with hashtags #BengaluruRains and #BangaloreRains trending like the city’s infamous power outages,” a user wrote on X.

“The Bengaluru Traffic Police, clearly not content with managing just cars, tried their hand at weather updates, while residents wondered if they should invest in boats rather than bikes,” the user added.

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