Bengaluru: Heavy overnight rains pounded Bengaluru, submerging several areas, flooding homes, and crippling normal life across the city on Monday. Overflowing stormwater drains led to water entering residences and offices, with commuters left stranded on waterlogged roads.
The downpour wreaked havoc in multiple neighbourhoods as storm drains failed to cope with the volume of rainwater. Notably, the office of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in Shanthinagar was flooded, causing damage to several documents and disrupting investigative operations. Water accumulated up to knee level on the ground floor of the building, and the situation remained unchanged well into Monday morning.
Authorities said some official records might have been damaged, and an assessment of the losses is currently underway. The CCB office had recently been relocated from an ageing structure in Chamarajpet to the Shanthinagar building due to safety concerns. Despite paying lakhs in rent for the new premises, inadequate rainwater management has added to the woes of the staff.
Residential Areas Bear the Brunt
Several low-lying residential areas including Horamavu, Kaverinagar, and Sampangi Ramnagar were inundated as rainwater gushed into homes. In Horamavu, ground-floor houses were flooded, damaging furniture and appliances. Residents struggled to drain out the water as daily routines were thrown into disarray.
Roads across Bommanahalli, Electronic City, and Bellandur resembled shallow rivers, with waterlogged stretches bringing traffic to a crawl. In Jayanagar and BTM Layout, multiple trees were uprooted, adding to the chaos.
At Silk Board Junction, a massive traffic jam stretched for nearly 5-6 km as traffic police battled to restore order. Public transport services were severely affected, and many commuters were stranded for hours.
Visuals from across the city showed people wading through knee-deep water, with streets resembling canals. Partially submerged vehicles were a common sight, highlighting the scale of the city’s drainage infrastructure failure.
Weather Department Issues Broader Alert
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast heavy rainfall across Assam, Meghalaya, and southern interior regions, including Karnataka. Similar weather is expected in Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, coastal Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Telangana, south-central Maharashtra, West Bengal, Sikkim, and Bihar in the coming days.
On Saturday, heavy rains also forced the cancellation of the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders.
As Bengaluru reels under the impact of sudden, intense rainfall, questions are being raised about the city's preparedness and urban planning, with residents demanding urgent infrastructural improvements.
