People clear rainwater that entered homes in BTM Layout.
DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V
Bengaluru: Residents of Sai Layout, near Hennur-Bagalur Main Road, voiced their frustration over severe flooding triggered by heavy overnight rains.
Biju M Parel, a long-time resident and social worker, said the issue had plagued the area for nearly a decade. "The rajakaluve (stormwater drain) is choked at the railway property, and an artificial lake built a few years ago has only narrow, four-foot-wide drains. With no proper outlet, water backs up and floods the area,” he explained.
Vasanth, a Sai Layout resident, explained how the flooding disrupted daily life. “Due to the power outage, I have not been able to charge my phone, which has affected my work. I am unable to contact anyone, and my grandmother is stuck inside the building without power. This has been happening for the past five years—every time it rains, the area gets completely flooded,” he said.
Asif, a resident of VM Meridian Apartments in Sai Layout, said the problem has worsened in the past three years. “Our ground-floor parking was completely submerged, and all the cars were underwater. Things deteriorated after the stormwater drain was blocked during railway construction,” he noted.
Doctor rushes to OR
Elsewhere, Dr Rashmi Yogesh encountered a medical emergency of her own when her home in BTM Layout was inundated. “I had a surgery scheduled, but both my house and car were submerged. With the help of my driver, I navigated the flooded roads and rushed to the OR, despite the chaos,” she recounted.
Pregnant woman stuck in bus
In another incident, a pregnant woman endured a harrowing experience when a BMTC bus broke down in the floodwaters at the Silk Board Junction. After a tense wait, an excavator arrived and pushed the bus to safety. A relative then helped the shaken woman and took her for a medical checkup.
Flooding also impacted the yet-to-be-operational Central Silk Board metro station on the BTM Layout side, where rainwater surged up to the escalator level. The adjacent junction witnessed severe traffic congestion as stalled vehicles and waterlogged roads forced diversions.