Bengaluru streets flood again after torrential rains

Outer Ring Road near EcoSpace among worst-hit; BBMP caught napping

Many arterial roads, including parts of the outer ring road (ORR), were flooded and jammed with traffic on Tuesday after hours of torrential rains pounded Bengaluru.

The downpour turned several underpasses into ponds. However, authorities were quick to place barricades to prevent a repeat of last week's KR Circle tragedy. Vehicles passing through Bellandur were the worst affected as the entire road was filled with knee-deep water.

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Some of the roads that could not take the downpour were Bellandur near EcoSpace, Bannerghatta Road near Sagar Hospital junction, Lingarajapuram underpass, Sivananda Circle, Chickpet Main Road, Sankey Road and KR Circle underpasses and Old Madras Road near RMZ Infinity.

Such was the volume of traffic congestion near Embassy Tech Village on the ORR that some commuters got down from office cabs to walk back home.

Sandeep Mohanty, a software professional, said he decided to walk home after his cab was stuck for 45 minutes. He was heading back to Devarabeesanahalli from Electronics City.

"The entire main carriageway was flooded. The service road was choked with vehicles. And it happened around 6.30 pm, which is office logout time. Although the intensity of the flooding was not as severe compared to last year, it shows the BBMP has not fixed the drainage issues around the road,” he said.

Volunteers coordinating with the BBMP said plastic and garbage had clogged the drainage point connecting the stormwater drain near the ORR. The water started draining quickly once it was removed. "There was water stagnation for about an hour,” the volunteers said.

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Other than waterlogging, several areas also reported tree falls. Complaints were received from areas such as Old Airport Road, Babusapalya, CMR Road in Banaswadi, Belathur etc.

At the directions of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath carried out an inspection to assess rain-related damages. He said all rungs of the BBMP machinery had been galvanised to face rains and floods.

"All zonal commissioners, chief engineers and executive engineers along with the forest wing have been directed to be on high alert. The control rooms will be operational round the clock,” he said.