Cool relief, hot mess: Sudden rain exposes infra gaps in city

Bengaluru: Sudden heavy showers on Tuesday evening caused the mercury to drop, and unleashed the city’s usual rainy woes.

According to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Meteorological Centre, Bengaluru city recorded 30.2 mm of rain with thunderstorms, while the HAL station recorded 22.8 mm, as of 8.30 pm.

For the rest of the week, the IMD has forecast light to moderate thundershowers with gusty winds reaching 40–50 kmph in the city and surrounding areas. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 33°C and 21°C, respectively.

Traffic snarls 

By evening, traffic crawled in all directions from the Hebbal flyover, especially between Nagawara and Hebbal, and along the service road from Hebbal Kempapura to the flyover on one side, and from the Veterinary Hospital to Esteem Mall on the other.

In the city’s south and southeast, slow-moving traffic was reported between Bellandur and Marathahalli, and on Hosur Road.

The traffic police flagged severe waterlogging and snarls at multiple points, including Khoday underpass, Spice Garden Layout, Balagere T Junction, Outer Ring Road at Kasturi Nagar, Geddalahalli, Hebbal flyover, Siddapura, SJP Road to Town Hall, Varthur Kodi, Salem Bridge, and Bellandur Lake Road towards Yemalur.

Pravir, a Whitefield resident, said: "The roads in this area are deteriorating day by day. Craters and depressions fill up with water. If it rains heavier, or once the monsoon hits, it will be a nightmare.”

Adding to the misery

Multiple treefalls disrupted traffic, including at Ramamurthy Nagar towards Dodda Banasawadi, PG Halli bus stop, Veerannapalya railway gate, Kaveri Junction, Windsor Manor, Race Course Road, Kalyan Nagar, Manjunath Layout in Mahadevapura, Binnypete, and Indiranagar.

In Yelachenahalli, a tree fell on four parked cars. Similar incidents were reported in Bharathi Nagar and Sadashivanagar. Trees also toppled onto power lines in RT Nagar, HAL 3rd Stage, and CV Raman Nagar, while a transformer was damaged in Kaval Bairasandra.

Parts of the city, including the 4th Block of HRBR Layout and roads near Manyata Tech Park, were flooded. In one incident, rainwater and slush gushed into a moving BMTC bus on the Nagavara-Hebbal stretch. In Sai Layout, residents continued to battle flooded streets.

Gusty winds rip roof sheets at SMVT

Strong winds and sudden downpours damaged the roof at the Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT), Baiyappanahalli, at 3.25 pm.

A senior South Western Railway official said: “The roof sheet and false ceiling got disturbed and some panels fell. The area was barricaded for passenger safety, and all hanging elements were removed. Repair work is underway.”

Avenue Road traders battle rain aftermath

At Devanga Market on Sree Devara Dasimayya Road (formerly Jumma Masjid Road), traders were seen trying to keep water out of their shops with plastic buckets. Debris dumped in the passageway worsened the problem.

The market has been partially shut since May 9, after eight truckloads of debris were dumped at its entrance. 

“We had cleared some debris and made a small path, but now the rainwater has mixed with it, making the place uninhabitable,” said Lav Sisodiya, a saree merchant with three stores in the market.

Store owners allege the debris was dumped by members of the Devanga Sangha, who own the market, and have complained to the police.

Across Avenue Road, flooding was not as severe, but traders voiced concerns about the aftermath. “After the recent white-topping, drains clog faster. The rainwater drains, but debris blocks the pipes, and the next day the water resurfaces,” said Ashok Kumar, a bookstore owner.

Shopkeepers have reported the issue to local authorities.