Bengaluru rain: IT hub's civic troubles continue amid waterlogging, potholes

Bengaluru's monsoon woes worsen with heavy flooding and crumbling infrastructure. As pothole accidents rise, rescue teams supply essentials and the government faces mounting public outcry.

In Short

• Heavy rainfall causes severe waterlogging, flooding in several areas
• Doddabommasandra Lake overflows for first time in 17 years
• Rescue boats deployed in some regions to provide essential supplies

Bengaluru has been reeling under incessant rains for the past three days, bringing several residential areas and roads under knee-deep water. Heavy rains have caused severe waterlogging in multiple areas of Bengaluru, with the Doddabommasandra Lake, in northern Bengaluru, overflowing for the first time in 17 years, inundating low-lying areas such as Tata Nagar near Hebbal.

Residents have been left stranded with knee-deep water outside their homes, as rescue boats were deployed to provide essential supplies like food and water to those affected. Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda was on site, overseeing relief operations and ensuring the safe delivery of aid to the worst-hit areas.

According to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Yelahanka received 157 mm (six inches) rain in just six hours from Tuesday midnight to Tuesday 6 am.

Residents in Tata Nagar suffered the worst, with stagnant water creating severe hardships. Essential items, including food and water, were transported on rescue boats by personnel from the city’s relief teams. The BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) Chief Commissioner, Tushar Girinath, visited the worst-affected areas to assess the damage. BBMP has responded by arranging additional pumps and fire engines to remove water from areas with heavy waterlogging. Officials also instructed teams to clear out drainage systems to ensure smoother water flow.

The situation in North Bangalore is particularly dire, with more than 1,030 houses in Yelahanka reported to have been flooded. Local authorities are racing to provide assistance and manage the floodwaters to prevent further damage.

There was a severe traffic jam on many important roads. Ballari Road that leads to the Kempegowda International Airport, witnessed chock-a-block for several kilometres.

The Tumakuru Road, Old Madras Road and Kanakapura Road too saw severe traffic congestion.

POTHOLE ACCIDENT VIDEO SPARKS OUTRAGE

Even as the city battles severe flooding, its infrastructure woes have taken another hit. An undated video shared on X has gone viral, showing a physically challenged woman falling into a water-filled pothole during heavy rains near Halasahalli, close to Varthur. The video has sparked outrage over BBMP's failure to maintain the city's roads, with residents and opposition leaders voicing their anger over the incident.

The viral video, shared by user Piyush K Dwivedi, captures the woman’s fall, fueling public dissatisfaction with the city's crumbling infrastructure. Adding to the criticism, the Janata Dal (Secular) posted a sarcastic tweet labelling Bengaluru as "Brand Bengaluru" and accusing the civic authorities of turning the city’s roads into death traps.

PROTESTS AND PUBLIC OUTCRY

Earlier today, residents of Halasahalli blocked roads in protest against BBMP negligence, demanding immediate action to address the pothole menace. The protest comes after Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who also serves as Bengaluru’s Development Minister, had promised in September to fix all potholes within 15 days. Despite this assurance, over 1,200 potholes remain open, prompting public frustration.

BJP MLA Ashwath Narayan criticised the Congress government for its laxity, stating: “The government must look into this issue and fix all potholes. More attention must be paid to drainage systems, roads, and potholes."

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

Shivakumar responded to criticism regarding his absence from flood-affected areas, stating flood relief efforts were more critical than his visit. “Our officials have been working non-stop for the past 48 hours. What matters now is the relief work, not my presence,” he said.

Addressing opposition claims that he, as Bengaluru Development Minister, should have visited the flooded areas, Shivakumar said: “I would gain publicity by visiting, but the priority is relief efforts, not publicity. I don’t want to divert officials’ attention.”

He also recounted how he was stranded in two-foot water near Nelamangala, in north-western Bengaluru in Bengaluru Rural district, due to heavy rains. He said those parts of Bengaluru had received up to 300% excess rainfall. According to him, five SDRF and NDRF teams were on the ground, and pumps were being used to drain water from 20 locations in the city.

The Deputy Chief Minister also noted that five layouts in Mahadevapura zone were flooded and that officials were working to address the situation.

Minister Priyank Kharge acknowledged the unusual rains and stated that the Deputy Chief Minister had already issued clear orders to address the pothole problem. He reassured citizens that BBMP was equipped to handle the situation, although the ongoing heavy rains had made progress slower than expected.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also expressed concern over the state of the city's infrastructure, stating that all efforts are being made to mitigate rain-related damage and flooding across Bengaluru.

The India Meteorology Department has predicted that light to moderate thundershowers accompanied by lightning are likely to occur at isolated places over Chikkaballapur, Chikkamagalur, Kolar, Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural districts.

Also, isolated heavy rain and thundershowers are likely to occur over Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dharwad, Gadag, Belagavi, Haveri, Davangere, Ballari, Mandya, Mysuru, Ramanagara and Chamarajanagar districts.