Bengaluru’s battle with monsoon chaos intensified on Monday as torrential overnight rain submerged roads, stalled traffic, and flooded homes, with meteorological forecasts warning of three more days of similar downpours. While residents grappled with immediate disruptions, the larger civic crisis lay in the city’s inadequate drainage systems and stalled desilting works across key flood-prone zones.
Several areas including Kasturinagar, Malleswaram, Ramamurthy Nagar and Hosur Road bore the brunt of Monday’s rainfall, with Kasturinagar alone recording 45 mm. In the BDA Layout neighbourhood, over 20 homes were inundated as stormwater drains overflowed and water surged into basements, lift shafts, and ground-floor residences. The overnight deluge exposed serious flaws in flood preparedness, particularly in areas that were part of formally planned urban layouts. In Malleswaram, a truck transporting water and sewerage pipes became immobilised in slush created by delayed civil works and softened soil. The situation exacerbated traffic blockages and mirrored the challenges faced elsewhere in the city, where half-finished infrastructure often worsens monsoon impact.
Connectivity in the eastern corridor suffered as the underpass connecting Kasturinagar West to the Tin Factory Metro Station remained flooded and inaccessible. Commuters were forced to take detours as long as 6 kilometres. Residents and local associations flagged this recurring inconvenience as a consequence of incomplete desilting of the Benniganahalli Lake, compounded by an outdated stormwater drain network. Despite being owned by the BBMP, access to the lake’s north end is restricted by railway lines, delaying necessary flood mitigation. Officials from both BBMP and Indian Railways conducted a joint inspection in response to community pressure, eventually granting permission for desilting to begin from the western side. However, residents remain sceptical, pointing to years of bureaucratic inertia and short-term fixes. With only one operational pump in place and no long-term drainage upgrade in sight, locals fear future floods are inevitable.
Elsewhere in the city, Hosur Road and Veerasandra experienced traffic standstills due to waterlogged stretches, while a tree collapse in Ramamurthy Nagar added to commuter frustration. Officials admitted there is no permanent solution yet for the flooding of key underpasses and have initiated consultations with urban planners to propose new designs and interventions. The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert across 11 districts, predicting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall along with gusty winds for the next 72 hours. While the city witnessed a marginal dip in temperatures, there was no respite for daily wage earners, small businesses, or commuters navigating submerged streets.
Urban planners and civil society stakeholders are now urging the civic administration to adopt a climate-responsive infrastructure approach. Experts believe that Bengaluru’s growing flood vulnerability reflects a broader failure to integrate stormwater management into the city’s development plans. Without systemic investment in desilting lakes, overhauling drains, and inter-agency coordination, repeated monsoon disasters are likely to remain the norm.
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