Bengaluru’s Soggy from Sunday : When the City That Never Sleeps Can’t Even Wade Through
Stuck in the Splash: Bengaluru’s Rainy Day Blues: Ugh, Bengaluru, we’re together again under less than perfect conditions. Remember those peaceful weekend plans? Yeah, those are most likely bobbing around somewhere down the road right now. Mother Nature felt like reminding us of her strength last night by dumping a whopping 100+ mm of rain upon us, turning our techie hub into something akin to a water park – only one with a very noticeable shortage of fun and a surplus of traffic congestion.
Today’s morning rush was more of a “slosh hour” rather than a “rush hour.” News is pouring in (pun intended, sorry, not sorry) from across the city. Koramangala, which is normally full of startups and foodies, is now fighting its own indoor swimming pools. Indiranagar’s hip streets are fast becoming canals, and the Silk Board junction? Let us just say getting through that chaos is an Olympic-level achievement in water ballet – only with much less elegance and much more honking. Even the normally slick Electronic City flyover has fallen prey to the watery disarray, making what is otherwise a smooth journey into a snail’s pace crawl.
But it’s not all about the traffic blues, is it? The actual heart-wrenching tales are emerging from the likes of Sri Sai Layout in Horamavu. Try imagining waking up to the sight of your house knee-deep, waist-deep in water. That’s the experience of so many residents there. Huge kudos to the disaster management team of the BBMP who had to send in boats and tractors to quite literally rescue people. Resident Neelufar Ahmad spoke about being totally isolated, finding it hard to even access basic amenities. It’s a harsh reminder that despite the posh tech parks and lively nightlife, there are people living here who are extremely vulnerable to these routine floods.
And it’s not just the newer designs. Even S.T. Bed in Koramangala, which had to undergo this horror in 2017, is flooded again. You can’t help but experience a rush of frustration and sympathy for the residents who have to endure this over and over. The same tale is being repeated in Trinity Fortune Layout in Geddalahalli, where clogged drains overflow into houses. Even well-designed places like Rainbow Drive Layout and the tech giant Manyata Tech Park are not spared.
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And let’s not forget the downtrodden common people who use public transport. Waterlogged bus stops? Come on. It is as if the city is going out of its way to make travel as inconvenient as possible.
Sincerely, being a Bengalurean, there’s that familiar sense of exhaustion with all this. It’s as if we’re caught in a damp cycle. We adore our city, its vibrancy, its prospects, but these recurring floods are a heavy blow to the stomach. It leads you to question when we’ll finally manage to weather the storms – literally and metaphorically.
So, to all those wallowing in the water, waiting in traffic, or fretting about their homes: stay put, Bengaluru. Long may the rain gods pour, I suppose, and long may the powers that be find permanent solutions. Meanwhile, perhaps invest in a little kayak? Just in case. Take care, people, and look out for one another. We’re all in this puddle together.
Bengaluru’s Double Trouble: Flood One, Darkness Another!
Wading through at knee-level water wasn’t already enough, the Bengaloreans woke up to another uninvited guest this Monday morning: darkness. The rains that converted our streets into rivers on Sunday didn’t just pause for waterlogging; they did a hit on the power infrastructure as well, restricting many with frustrating power cuts.
A double whammy is being dealt to the city. Just when you thought you had floated high over flooded roads, you suddenly found yourself entering a house bereft of light, fans, and the very basic comfort of pumping water. The list of affected areas is almost like a call from the vibrant neighborhoods of Bengaluru: Yelahanka, Hennur, Singasandra, Shivajinagar, Kasturinagar, Banaswadi, BTM Layout, Munnekollal, and Matthikere all have reports of outages since Sunday night till Tuesday.
Imagine kicking off your Monday with Manjula R., a resident of Ramangondanahalli near Yelahanka. No power means no pumping water since morning. In an ordinary weekday, it would mean hardly any water for basic needs, even cooking. It’s a stark reminder of how all our essential services intertwine and how dependent we become when one falls down.
The BESCOM folks are doing all they can to rectify the situation, mentioning that due to the flooding, many key 66/11 kV feeders either tripped or developed faults in the Kadubisanahalli, Jayadeva near BTM