Intense downpour paralyses Bengaluru, traps commuters for hours

Multiple spells of intense rainfall on Tuesday evening paralysed Bengaluru, submerging key arterial roads, trapping commuters for hours, and forcing many office-goers to pay surge fares as high as ₹400 for short autorickshaw rides.

Compound walls collapse, cows trapped

In Domlur, a portion of the compound wall of a military campus collapsed during the downpour, reportedly trapping four cows underneath. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) deployed a civic team for a rescue operation. Another compound wall collapsed at Nanjamba Agrahara. No injuries were reported in either incident.

Central Bengaluru gridlocked by knee-deep water

Central Bengaluru came to a standstill as waterlogging was reported at several key junctions, including Mayo Hall Court Junction, Garuda Mall Junction, Trinity Circle, Anil Kumble Junction, UB City Junction, ASC Centre (HAL) Airport Junction and Tonique Junction. A senior traffic officer said evening traffic was affected in Central Bengaluru, with knee-level water stagnation at multiple points.

"The rain started during the evening peak hour, and many office-goers were on the road already. So, even the multiple connecting roads were gridlocked," the officer said.

Commuters also struggled to get cabs and autorickshaws, while fares surged sharply. Several areas in east and southeast Bengaluru experienced power outages.

Trees uprooted across the city

Bengaluru corporations and the Bengaluru Traffic Police reported tree falls at multiple locations, including near the Shivajinagar bus stand, near CB Road Junction towards ESI Junction, and near Hosmat Hospital towards Rajamohan Roy Road. More than three trees were also uprooted.

Widespread flooding chokes major corridors

Flooding was witnessed at multiple locations, including Kalpana Circle near Mount Carmel College, Sankey Road near High Grounds, SJP Road, RV Teachers College, and T. Mariappa Road, all of which were cleared. The stormwater drain on Nala Road overflowed, affecting traffic movement. In Chamrajpet, waterlogging at the K.R. Market up-ramp triggered traffic chaos along Mysuru Road.

Other waterlogged stretches included Anepalya Junction towards Mico Junction, Wilson Garden 10th Cross towards Dairy Circle, the Ayyappa Underpass in Madiwala towards Madiwala Police Station, NGO Gate towards Passport Office Junction, Koramangala Inner Ring Road towards Indiranagar 100 Feet Road, and the Peenya flyover towards the city, among others.

The severe waterlogging prompted civic agencies and the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) to jointly clear stagnant water at several locations, even as traffic on these stretches crawled at a snail's pace.

Commuters pay steep surge fares

Aisiri Srinivas, a resident of Koramangala, said travelling home from her office near Vittal Mallya Road cost her nearly twice what she usually spends. "I usually get an autorickshaw for ₹170 to ₹190, but the fare went up to ₹250. Even then, no driver accepted the ride. I had to keep increasing the tip and finally paid nearly ₹400 to get an autorickshaw," she said.

Nakul S., a resident of Yelahanka, said it took him nearly two hours to reach home from M.G. Road, compared with the usual 70 to 75 minutes. "Even the Hebbal ramp was waterlogged, which added to the delay, apart from the traffic chaos at Anil Kumble Junction and Tonique Junction," he said.

Source: The Hindu