3 Dead, Heavy Waterlogging, Traffic Snarls as Bengaluru Braces for More Rains

Delhi: Three people died after heavy rainfall lashed Bengaluru and several parts of Karnataka on Sunday night. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘Yellow Alert’ for Bengaluru till Friday, as heavy rains continue to cause flooding in several parts of the city. The rains on Sunday night led to widespread waterlogging and disrupted daily life for residents.

Multiple areas across Karnataka were affected by heavy rainfall, which resulted in triggered traffic congestion and waterlogging. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited the affected areas and instructed authorities to take immediate action.

Heavy Rain Disrupts City Life

Bengaluru received over six hours of continuous rainfall on Sunday night, recording an average of 105.5 mm. Following this, the IMD issued a yellow alert for the city, warning of moderate rain and cloudy skies till Friday. Wind speeds of 30-40 kmph uprooted trees, disrupted electricity supply, and caused traffic delays.

An advisory was issued for districts including Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Raichur, Koppal, Yadgir, and Gadag, urging people to stay indoors.

Public Outrage Over Poor Infrastructure

Residents have expressed frustration over the city's inability to handle seasonal rainfall. Many areas were severely flooded, and over 50 vehicles were damaged. There were also reports of snakes entering homes due to waterlogging. Even the Central Crime Branch office was flooded, damaging several official files.

Flooded roads and bus stands caused long traffic delays, particularly in areas like Vidyashilpa railway underpass, Belimatha Junction, HSR Layout depot, and Sony World signal.

Flood Prevention Measures Underway

The Bengaluru City Police issued a traffic advisory, identifying 132 flood-prone locations. Of these, 82 have been cleared, while 42 remain affected. Authorities are investing ₹2,000 crore in stormwater drain upgrades.

Deputy CM D K Shivakumar stated that 197 km of stormwater drains have been built and that flood control work is ongoing in several areas. He acknowledged issues in localities like Silk Board Junction, Hebbal, and Yelahanka, where underpass construction has been affected by flooding.

He said, "Ever since I took over as the Bengaluru Development Minister, we have fixed flooding issues in 166 (70%) of those localities. Flood prevention work is currently going on in 24 areas while work would be taken up soon in the remaining 20 areas. We have built 197 km of storm water drains."

"Quantum of rainfall has been very high in Silk Board junction, Hebbal and Yelahanka area. Underpass works are underway in a couple of places in these areas and they have been flooded. We will work with those departments to resolve these issues," Shivakumar added.