Bengaluru: Rain returns, so do waterlogged roads, traffic jams

Bengaluru: Rains lashed Bengaluru on Wednesday evening, with heavy showers in parts of the north and central areas causing waterlogging and disrupting traffic.

Areas including Domlur, Rajajinagar, Malleswaram, Sadashivanagar, Ulsoor, Varthur, Whitefield, Banaswadi, Horamavu, Kalyan Nagar, Hennur, Ramamurthy Nagar, Hebbal, Yelahanka, Jalahalli, Mathikere, Yeshwanthpur, Peenya, BTM Layout, Bommanahalli, Koramangala, Banashankari, Basavanagudi, Hulimavu, Arekere, Jayanagar, Basaveshwaranagar, Kamakshipalya, Mahalakshmi Layout, Nagarbhavi, Nayandahalli, and RR Nagar received rain.

The IMD reported 5.5 mm of rain at Bengaluru City, 5.3 mm at HAL Airport, and 3.0 mm at KIAL.

Between 5.30 pm and 7 pm, residents around HAL Airport Road, Silk Board, Outer Ring Road, Manyata Tech Park, and MG Road reported heavy rainfall. Varthur Main Road was inundated. The traffic police flagged waterlogging at Belathur-Hope Farm Road, Hebbal flyover, Varthur Kodi, Siddapura, Hennur, Geddalahalli, Thanisandra towards Hegde Nagar, CBI towards Airport on Ballari Road, Jayamahal towards Cantonment, and Kodigehalli Gate.

Major traffic congestion was reported from Hebbal towards the city, on the Outer Ring Road from Marathahalli to Iblur, KR Pura metro station to Benniganahalli, Old Madras Road from Ulsoor to KR Pura metro station, and Nagavara to Hebbal on the ORR.

Citizens' voices

"In Malleswaram, the issue is fallen trees and branches blocking roads. The BWSSB has dug up much of 8th Main for pipe work, worsening diversions. Rains have made surfaces slippery, and the soil used to fill the dug-up roads keeps collapsing,” said Anagha, a resident.

Ramya KS from Vasantha Vallabha Nagar said, “Heavy rain causes drain blockages with mud and debris. Many homes see sewage backing up through toilets. Roads that remain dug up for cables and pipes are left unfinished. Untrimmed trees block roads. Poor road upkeep and faulty sewage connections make the situation worse during rains.”

Forecast

N Puviarasan, Scientist ‘F’ and Head, Meteorological Centre, said that heavy rain was expected in Bengaluru on Thursday. There will be extremely heavy rainfall in coastal Karnataka, Shivamogga, Chikmagaluru, and Belagavi.

For the week, the IMD predicted heavy to very heavy rain with gusty winds (30-40 kmph) in parts of coastal, north interior, and south interior Karnataka, with isolated places likely to receive extremely heavy rain.