Bengaluru: The downpour late Friday afternoon left many streets in the city under ankle-deep water with commuters frustrated as they had to navigate through hours of snail-paced traffic.
Key areas such as ITPL, Manyata Tech Park, Old Madras Road, Mysore Road and Hebbal Junction bore the brunt of the rain, forcing people to endure its wrath before seeking shelter.
Expressing dismay, Karnataka Weather’s X handle @ Bnglrweatherman criticized BBMP’s lack of preparedness, stating, “Not so Dear BBMP, You had 6 months without #BengaluruRains but still you chose to sleep as usual. You didn’t clear the drains, repair the roads resulting in traffic jams & flooded roads with normal rains in Bengaluru. We are experiencing hell to travel, which should have been a lovely experience during the rains. All thanks to you. Keep sleeping & enjoying while we citizens suffer.”
The sentiment was echoed by Sumant N Tiwary (@Tiwary), who posted on X, “This is just the beginning, wait and see the fun when the real monsoon hits Bangalore.”
Pramila Nagarjun, a regular commuter on ITPL, lamented the Palike’s negligence, stating, “BBMP pays no heed to our complaints. Every year, even with minimal rain, the roads get flooded, leaving us stranded for long hours before we can reach home.” Somaraju Reddy, a resident of Tatanagar, shared a similar plight. She said, “The distance from Manyata Tech Park to my house is barely 7 kilometres, but waterlogging causes snail-paced traffic. It takes for over one and a half hours for me to get home.”
Yes, a challenge: BBMP
BBMP officials acknowledged the issue, citing a challenge to address all causes of flooding. Engineer-in-chief BS Prahlad assured that collaboration with State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and fire and emergency services had been initiated to prepare for heavy rainfall. “Desilting and clearing stormwater drains were under way. About 198 vulnerable points prone to flooding were identified. More than 124 points have been addressed while 74 are pending due to infrastructure development projects there,” he said, adding: “The low-lying areas are are majorly affected and this issue will continue to pertain, but we are working on fixing it soon,” he added.
Chief commissioner Tushar Giri Nath downplayed the situation calling it minor waterlogging and attributed it to construction debris and waste hindering the flow of rainwater. “A complicated factor near Manyata Tech Park is the dispute between a private party and BBMP over land claims that stalled work to resolve waterlogging issues in that area. Once this dispute is settled, measures will be implemented to prevent waterlogging incidents,” he added.
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