Rain brings Bengaluru to its knees; lakes overflow

So overwhelming was the flow of water that it brought down a road bridge near a government hospital in Kaggalipura

Bengaluru’s shoddy infrastructure was exposed by Friday night’s widespread rainfall, which flooded a government hospital, inundated streets, and caused a traffic nightmare on the arterial Mysuru Road.

The flooding was caused by overflowing lakes and drains that hadn’t been desilted in a long time.

Traffic crawled in RR Nagar, Kumbalgodu and Kengeri as water from overflowing lakes flooded the busy Mysuru Road. Another lake breach damaged a road linking Inorapalya. At the government hospital in Kaggalipura, Rs 30 lakh worth of medical equipment was damaged as Udipalya and Thalaghattapura lakes were breached due to the torrential rains.

So overwhelming was the flow of water that it brought down a road bridge near the hospital. The damage was equally telling inside the hospital. Expectant mothers, women in postnatal care, doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff had to take shelter on the stairs and on the first floor in the dead of the night.

At around 4 am, authorities had to shift expectant mothers and women in postnatal care to a hospital in Guttepalya near Konanakunte.

According to Ramanagar District Health Officer Dr Niranjan, the flash floods destroyed all medical equipments in the hospital.

Cooperation Minister S T Somasekhar visited the hospital and asked the officials to repair the bridge soon. He also instructed the DHO to provide all the necessary equipment and medicines to the hospital within three days.

Rainwater also entered the government first-grade college in Kaggalipura.

The rain also severely damaged roads in Bommanahalli and the surrounding areas in southern and southeastern Bengaluru.

Streets flooded

Streets were flooded in Bilekahalli, Kodichikkanahalli, HSR Layout 7th Sector, Mangammanapalya, Bandepalya, Puttenahalli and Arakere. An overflowing stormwater drain flooded Anugraha Layout near Bilekahalli. Rainwater was three-feet deep on Mangammanapalya Road, Salarpuria apartment complex, and HSR Layout.

The rainwater also damaged roadside shops and houses in low-lying areas, and forced open manholes. In many homes, underground sumps were filled with sewage water.

Bilekahalli Block Congress president Ashwath Narayan said flooding was a chronic problem in Bilekahalli and Anugraha Layout because the stormwater drains hadn’t been desilted.

BBMP Bommanahalli Joint Commissioner H E Krishna Murthy blamed the persistent heavy rainfall for the damage. “This rainy season has been rather unusual. The repeated rains have also hampered the relief works,” he said.

He added the water that seeped into individual houses and apartments was being drained using a motor.

“We are doing our bit. Local residents should also join hands in the relief work,” he added.