It appeared as if the rains poured from the heavens to cool down the lingering heat of the poll campaign, but the showers on Thursday evening also left many areas waterlogged.
The city received 24.5 mm rains in the space of an hour between 7.30 and 8.30 pm, which flooded many houses and roads.
Commuters struggled to get past a road near Yelachenahalli metro station, where water stood up to about two feet.
The control room of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike also received flooding complaints from Koramangala, Mahadevapura, MG Road Metro Station, Majestic underpass, Shakambari Nagar, Kodichikkanahalli, Ramamurthy Nagar and Yelahanka.
A rajakaluve (stormwater drain) near Cambridge College in KR Puram was overflowing due to heavy water inflow. “The overflow is because it wasn’t desilted,” said an official at Mahadevapura BBMP control room.
Waterlogging was also reported from Mukunda theatre, Doordarshan TV tower and houses in KR Puram.
“We’ve deployed officials in regions reporting waterlogging,” BBMP Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said when asked about the measures taken to address the flooding issue.
The Koramangala 4th Block residents again witnessed flooding due to the heavy rains. The sewage water from the nearby stormwater drain entered the streets resulting in waterlogging.
The situation was similar to the waterlogging reported during rains in August and September last year. The traffic at Silk board junction was stalled for a long time due to the waterlogging.
Four trees tumbled in the rain –one in Malleshwaram near Chowdaiah Memorial Hall and others in Kurubarahalli and Basaveshwaranagar. Indiranagar and Domlur reported power cuts. Bangalore Electricity Supply Company received 929 calls in just two hours of fallen electrical polls.
Several parts of the city like Central Business District reported traffic jams due to flooded roads.
Rain on polling day: IMD
The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted gusty winds and thundershowers for the next two days, including on the polling day of May 12.
IMD-Bengaluru’s Director-in-charge Geeta Agnihotri said thundershowers are expected across the state, though no warning has been issued. Bengaluru alone will receive rains for about seven days due to the formation of various climatic systems, she said.
IMD said the precipitation is due to a North-South trough and a cyclonic circulation over Lakshadweep and adjoining south-east Arabian Sea stretching for about 3.1 kilometres above the mean sea level.
It also reports a cyclonic circulation over the Comorin area and in the neighbourhood extending up to 0.9 kilometres above the mean sea level.
