House collapse, traffic snarls, waterlogging: Rain wreaks havoc on Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The city witnessed steady rainfall on Monday, prompting residents to reach out for their jackets and raincoats as they navigated through the day.

While the downpour wasn’t heavy, it caused disruptions, including at least six instances of tree falls in areas such as Jayanagar 4th Block and Malleswaram. Several roads experienced partial waterlogging, leading to crawling traffic.

Commuting woes

Rainwater gushes out of a manhole on NR Road. 

Several companies encouraged employees to work from home to avoid waterlogged roads.

Naren S, a data scientist from Peenya, received a work-from-home message from his office early Monday morning.

Commuters faced significant challenges with hailing autorickshaws and cabs. “I tried booking a cab five times, and the final ride cost Rs 100 more than usual,” said Anjali Suryakiran, a techie from Whitefield. Morning and evening fares showed notable surges.

Traffic delays further compounded frustrations.

Ritesh Prasad, a digital marketing professional, spent 1 hour and 20 minutes covering a mere 7.4 km from Gunjur to the Hopefarm Channasandra metro station. “Google Maps showed a long congestion line, but we had no choice. I had to drop my sister off in the car,” he said.

Traffic management

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) MN Anucheth stated that mild waterlogging occurred in areas like Kasturinagar, Benniganahalli, Bannerghatta Road, and Marathahalli police station. “Rainfall was steady but manageable, unlike the October downpour,” he added.

House collapse in Padarayanapura

A 50-year-old mud house in Padarayanapura collapsed on Saturday night due to the rains. An elderly couple residing in the house escaped with minor injuries and were shifted to a temporary relief centre, officials said.

‘Not due to Fengal’

A woman protects her child from the downpour.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bengaluru will experience moderate rainfall on Tuesday, followed by light showers on Wednesday. 

N Puviarasan, Scientist ‘F’ and Director of the Bengaluru Met Centre, clarified that the rainfall results from an upper air circulation over the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka coasts, and not due to Cyclone Fengal.

As of 11.30 pm Monday, Bengaluru city recorded 33.7 mm of rainfall and HAL Airport 27.4 mm. The maximum temperature was 22.5°C (Bengaluru city as well as HAL airport), and the minimum 20.4°C (Bengaluru city) and 19.5°C (HAL Airport).