Rain inundates Bengaluru, causes traffic disruptions

NT Correspondent Bengaluru: Continued heavy rainfall on Sunday waterlogged parts of Bengaluru and caused traffic snarls as the city received unusually intense showers in October. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has credited the wet spell to the formation of multiple low pressure areas and the North East Monsoon (NEM). It is to be noted that the South West Monsoon (SWM) withdrew from Karnataka on October 15. The weather department added that on Saturday, Bengaluru had received 20 mm of rain.

However, much of that was in the late hours up to 5:30 am on Sunday. Moreover, the state capital also received 7 mm of rain on Sunday, they added. Major roads impacted The stretch from Silk Board to Bommanahalli junction was inundated with commuters complaining about nearly two feet of water in some places. The waterlogging left many motorists, especially those riding two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws, struggling to navigate the conditions. The waterlogging and rain also caused a traffic jam on the stretch extending to one-and-a-half kilometres. Another area heavily impacted was Okalipuram, where a waterlogged underpass made it difficult for motorists to travel.

In Raja Rajeshwari Nagar, rainwater entered the basements of several apartments, including Rajeshwari Apartment and Radhakrishna Layout Apartment. Cars parked in these basements were partially submerged. Residents of these apartments blame the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), adding that they had complained about waterlogging, which had happened twice before. As a result of the rain, many residents are unable to leave their homes to access basic necessities. In Nagadevanahalli, water has entered homes, damaging properties and leaving residents distressed since midnight. During the clean-up, BBMP workers even discovered a snake inside an apartment. In Sai Layout, things were even worse as rainwater reached the first floor of some residential buildings, further complicating the situation for residents and commuters alike.

From Silk Board to Electronic City, the roads remain impassable, with traffic police working tirelessly to push water from the drainage systems to alleviate some of the burden on commuters. Kumaraswamy Layout has not been spared either, with rainwater entering more than 10 houses. Residents are calling for immediate relief and effective measures to address flooding.

Yellow alert issued

IMD has issued a yellow alert for Bengaluru on Monday and Wednesday. However, the same is subject to revision. The weather department classifies yellow alert as “heavy rainfall”, which is anywhere between 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm. Orange alert is regarded as “very heavy rainfall”, meaning anything between 115.6 to 204.4 mm. Moreover, a red alert is classified as “extremely heavy rainfall”, which is more than 204.5 m of rain. Shivamogga received the highest rainfall in Karnataka at 10 cm. Magadi town in Ramanagar district received 9 cms of rain. Hoskote town in Bengaluru Rural district received 8 cms of rain. Meanwhile, Belur village in Mandya district received 7 cms of rain.