Moderate to heavy rain that lashed the city between late Sunday (August 11) night and Monday morning brought Bengaluru to its knees, even as at least six persons, including four children, were injured in tree falls.
People woke up on Monday to inundated roads and houses in multiple areas, forcing many to choose work from home option, while many made frantic calls to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike to pump out flood water from homes, apartment basements and roads. While some parents refused to send children to schools many children travelling on school buses were stranded for hours.
According to the India Meteorological Department bulletin at 8.30 a.m., Bengaluru received 74 mm of rain in the last 24 hours. Met officials said rain would continue in the city till August 17.
At Maruthi Seva Nagar, due to tree fall incidents, six people, including four children, were injured. According to a press release issued by a private hospital, children aged 7, 10, 12 and 13 suffered minor injuries, while a male patient aged 37 is receiving ICU, and a female aged 45 years has a fracture of the femoral bone and has to undergo surgery. The children were given immediate medical care and are doing fine, the release added.
In the morning hours, office-goers were grappling with flooded roads, and the traffic police issued advisories and shared details about alternative routes. Massive traffic jams were reported in key areas of Bengaluru due to severe flooding, particularly around Silk Board Junction and Hosur Road. The congestion left many motorists stranded for hours, especially on the Electronics City elevated flyover.
According to the Bengaluru Traffic Police, several other parts of the city were also heavily impacted. The Outer Ring Road between Nagawara junction and Hebbal saw slow-moving traffic in both directions. The Hebbal flyover was also affected, with traffic moving sluggishly from Esteem Mall towards Mekhri Circle.
Other affected areas included Veerasandra on the E-city elevated road, where outbound traffic was particularly slow, as well as ORR at Marathahalli, Karthik Nagar, Kalyan Nagar, Puttenahalli, Varthur Kodi, and the stretch from Sakra Hospital to Bellandur.
At least 25-30 houses at Sri Sai Layout in Horamavu, which is prone to inundation, were flooded as rainwater mixed with drainage water entered homes. The water overflowed from washrooms, some residents said. About seven streets in the layout were also flooded. The delay in response by the BBMP added to the woes of the residents.
In another incident, the boundary/ compound wall of the Sonestaa Silver Oak apartment complex at Thubarahalli collapsed, resulting in water entering the basement. The Fire and Emergency Services Department, which was pressed into action, pumped out knee-deep water after working for about five to six hours.
The rainwater entered several houses at Muniswamappa Layout at Amruthahalli. The residents spent sleepless nights throwing the water out using buckets and other vessels. At Magadi Road, a wall of a BBMP preschool collapsed, but there was no casualty.
