Lake breach after rain causes mayhem in North Bengaluru

Sahakar Nagar badly hit; airport-bound traffic crawls

Bengaluru: A spell of moderate rainfall and overflowing lakes led to knee-deep water in many parts of northern Bengaluru on Wednesday evening and disrupted airport-bound traffic.

BBMP officials said that water overflowed from two lakes – Hebbal and Chowdeshwari in Kogilu. Due to its proximity to the major Hebbal Junction, water from Hebbal Lake impacted traffic movement the most as water stagnated on parts of the service road and the eponymous flyover.

Nearly 50 homes on the first, second and third crossroads of Sahakar Nagar flooded due to the rains. The area, considered to be low-lying, saw a backflow of rainwater as the connecting stormwater drain was overflowing.

Parts of Kodigehalli were also inundated.

"None of these lakes has sewage diversion channels, so sewage enters the lakes perennially, which leaves less space for rainwater in the lakes, causing them to overflow," an official said.

Traffic came to a complete standstill and crawled inch-by-inch for at least an hour, as a string of red through Ballari Road was seen on Google Maps, from CBD to Hebbal Junction and beyond. Vehicles moving north were stranded on the road, with one resident of Sahakar Nagar noting that it took them over an hour and a half to move from their spot near Mehkri Circle on Ballari Road.

Speaking to DH, M N Anucheth, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said that all arms of traffic leading to and around Hebbal junction were completely choked, especially since the road below the flyover was flooded. "Traffic was stuck for about 5.5 km from Chalukya Circle towards the airport and about 2.2 km from the airport towards the city, up to Jakkur."

Other roads and areas where flooding impacted traffic included Sahakar Nagar Main Road, Kodigehalli, Veerannapalya, Bhadrappa Layout, Devinagar underpass, Windsor Manor junction, Cauvery Theatre Jn, and Jayamahal Road.

A tree and an electric pole falling near a supermarket in Sahakar Nagar, a BMTC bus breaking down on the road from Veerannapalya towards Hebbal and a tree fall near Rajaratnam Circle on BEL Road worsened the situation.

Sachin Ghorpade, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic, North), told DH that traffic from all four directions at Hebbal rolled to a stop due to the stagnating water on the roads.

"Traffic towards Tumakuru Road, KR Puram and the airport, even on the service roads, was badly affected because there was nowhere for the water to flow. In the extreme left side of the down ramp towards the airport, water was almost neck-deep at one point because the stormwater drain was also overflowing," he said.

The situation improved a little after the rains stopped, as water started to recede and vehicles started to pick up speed.

The IMD's Bengaluru city observatory has recorded 199 mm of rainfall since October 1, 8 mm more than normal. The Kempegowda International Airport received 135.8 mm in the same period, according to the IMD.

A thunderstorm with lightning has been forecast in isolated places in Bengaluru and other parts of the state.