Heavy rain across Bengaluru on Thursday evening flooded roads, disrupted traffic and pushed some auto-rickshaw and app-based cab fares to nearly twice their usual levels, affecting commuters, street vendors and motorists across several parts of the city.
The rain began at about 5 pm and continued until 7.30 pm after a cloudy afternoon. Several roads, flyovers and underpasses reported standing water, while overflowing drains slowed traffic at signal junctions. People returning from work took shelter at bus stops and roadside shops, and street vendors struggled to protect their businesses from the rain.
Waterlogging was reported in and around Majestic, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Jayanagar, Vijayanagar, Ashok Nagar, Indiranagar, Commercial Street, Shivajinagar, Malleshwaram, Seshadripuram, Srirampura, KR Market, Jalahalli, Peenya, Yeshwanthpur, Mattikere, Rajajinagar, Basaveshwaranagar, Nayandahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Padmanabhanagar. Rain was also reported around Lalbagh, VV Puram, Basavanagudi, Gandhi Bazaar, South End Circle and Basappa Circle.
Roads near Town Hall, Ashoka Pillar, Acharya Layout, MG Road, parts of Shanthinagar and Commissioner’s Road were among the locations where standing water obstructed vehicle movement. Motorcyclists faced additional difficulty because rainwater filled road potholes, reducing visibility of damaged surfaces and making two-wheeler travel more difficult.
The report attributed the flooding in several places to silt-filled drains that prevented water from flowing away. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike personnel visited affected locations and cleared drains to improve the movement of stormwater. The India Meteorological Department said several parts of the city could receive moderate rain during the following 48 hours.
Traffic was also affected near Kithaganahalli Cross on the Bengaluru–Hosur Highway in Chandapura, where accumulated rainwater on a section of the road contributed to congestion. Vehicles continued through the waterlogged stretch during the evening, causing difficulty for motorists.
The disruption extended to the city’s short-distance transport network. Some auto-rickshaw drivers reportedly refused trips, citing congestion and waterlogged roads, while passengers said fares shown on some apps had risen sharply. A journey from MG Road to RT Nagar, usually costing about ₹160 to ₹200 by auto-rickshaw, was shown at ₹350 to ₹400 on Thursday evening. Passengers travelling from Cubbon Park to Rajajinagar reported fares of ₹300 to ₹350.
Aishwarya M., who works at Bagmane Tech Park in CV Raman Nagar and lives in Sanjaynagar, said she had been unable to book a vehicle for about an hour even after offering an additional ₹100. The report said local residents attributed repeated flooding to inadequate drainage and waste accumulated in drains. The civic response and further rainfall over the next 48 hours will determine whether the affected stretches face another round of traffic disruption.
