Rain leaves a trail of tree falls, traffic snarls in Bengaluru, yet again

Bengaluru: Pre-monsoon showers continued to lash the city on Wednesday, uprooting eight trees — two in Sanjaynagar, and one each along the Hebbal service road, Mico Layout, Chikkabanaswadi, and Banashankari. The north-east parts of the city received heavy rainfall. 

Traffic snarls were reported from several areas due to the downpour.

Data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) stated that the Peenya Industrial Area and Kengeri recorded the highest rainfall at 10 mm.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall for Bengaluru on Thursday, with light to moderate showers expected to continue till May 20.

The city witnessed a chaotic start to the week as intense rains and gusty winds on Tuesday wreaked havoc, leaving a trail of waterlogging, tree falls, and traffic disruptions across major junctions.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said that the turbulent weather caused 121 branch falls and 27 tree falls, with the East Zone worst hit, recording 35 fallen branches and six uprooted trees. Civic officials claimed all debris was cleared promptly.

However, a Bengaluru Traffic Police officer noted that in several cases, their personnel had to manage flooding as civic agencies failed to respond in time.

The rains, which began with an intense afternoon storm and returned at night, triggered severe waterlogging on multiple routes, slowing traffic the following morning.

Even 12 hours after the downpour, a large portion of Hebbal Junction resembled a swimming pool, with rainwater blocked on all sides. The spot is a construction hub, with Namma Metro and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) building parallel elevated structures.

The BBMP has yet to clear drain blockages, despite a similar issue at the same location last year.

133 flood-prone spots identified

Civic agencies have identified 133 flood-prone locations in Bengaluru. While not all are critically impacted during every rain, high-risk areas have been earmarked.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) MN Anucheth told DH that coordination meetings with the BBMP have been held to improve response times ahead of the monsoon. He added that traffic police are equipped with chainsaws and other tools to handle obstructions like fallen trees when civic agencies are delayed.

Critical areas 

ORR between Nagawara Junction and Hebbal
Hebbal Circle below the flyover
International Airport Road at Hunasamaranahalli 
International Airport Road at Vidyashilp Junction
Rupena Agrahara on Hosur Road
ORR at Marathahalli police station 
ORR at Karthik Nagar
ORR at Kasturi Nagar bridge (Horamavu)
Palace Guttahalli on Ballari Road
Agara at 14th Main HSR
Ruby-1 and Ruby-2 on Bannerghatta Road 
Queens Circle
ORR at Eco World (Kadubeesanahalli)
Panathur underpass

Bescom helpline flooded with complaints

The rains also damaged several electrical poles and power lines. While Bescom is still assessing the extent of damage, officials said the helpline received 1.39 lakh calls on Tuesday, a sharp spike from the usual 50,000-60,000.

Residents reported prolonged power outages, with areas like Nagawara facing blackouts for up to five hours on Tuesday evening. Other localities experienced outages lasting over an hour.

Bescom officials attributed the majority of disruptions to fallen trees and branches damaging infrastructure. “This is a recurring issue during pre-monsoon showers when weak trees collapse in the first few rains, causing significant damage,” an official said.

Sudden evening showers following hot afternoons also stress the power network. The rapid cooling damages transformers, contributing to infrastructure breakdowns, officials noted.