Bengaluru rains: Woman dies in Whitefield after wall collapse; yellow alert issued
Bengaluru city has borne the brunt of the rain, receiving 105.5 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, leading to massive traffic disruptions and waterlogged roads
A 35-year-old woman died in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area after a wall collapsed on her amid heavy rainfall for over six hours, accompanied by thunderstorms in Bengaluru late Sunday (May 18).
The deceased was identified as Shashikala.
Yellow alert
Heavy rains lashed Bengaluru city for over six hours on Sunday and wee hours of Monday, and more rains are predicted till May 23. Meanwhile, India's famed IT city was battling widespread waterlogging and traffic disruptions across Bengaluru early Monday, as multiple areas received over 100 mm of rain.
The weather officials said the city’s average rainfall over the past 24 hours stood at 105.5 mm, as recorded at 8.30 am on Monday. A yellow alert has been issued throughout many parts of Karnataka and Bengaluru for the week, with heavy rain expected to lash the city.
Partly cloudy skies with heavy rain and thunderstorm are likely to prevail over the city today.
Affected areas
The affected districts include Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Tumakuru, Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan, Kodagu, Belagavi, Bidar, Raichur, Yadgir, Davanagere and Chitradurga.
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In Bengaluru, Horamavu and Sri Sai Layout were the worst affected, with some news reports saying that the residents have blamed the clogged drains for the waterlogging and the chaos on the roads.
They claim that despite repeated complaints to the authorities, they were not cleaned, leading to severe blockage.
Houses flooded
Many roads have been inundated, and several homes have witnessed flooding, with damage to property. Officials have moved the affected people to safer areas to mitigate the issue.
Over 19 trees were uprooted across the city during the rainfall, leading to significant disruption of traffic and several logjams.
105 mm rainfall
According to IMD data recorded at 8.30 am on May 19, Bengaluru city received 105.5 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours.
HAL Airport recorded 78.3 mm, while Kempegowda International Airport matched the city’s total with 105.5 mm.
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In comparison, May 2022 saw 114.6 mm of rainfall, while the all-time record for May stands at 153.9 mm, set on May 6, 1909.
As per data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), several locations in Bengaluru recorded over 100 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am on May 18 and 7 pm on May 19.
These include Kengeri (132 mm), KSNDMC GEO Campus (125.8 mm), Somashettihalli (119.5 mm), Madanayakanahalli (116.5 mm), and Yelahanka Chowdeshwari (103.5 mm).
Huge traffic jams
In several important and busy areas, such as Koramangala, Indiranagar, Silk Board junctions and the Electronic City flyover, traffic piled up, as water stagnation and poor road drainage allowed for minimal movement. Commuters have been advised to use an alternative route due to standing water at Manyatha Tech Park.
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Many parts of the city, including Yelahanka, Hennur, Sangasandra, Shivajinagar, Kasturi Nagar, Banaswadi, BTM layout, Munnekollal and Matthikere, suffered power cuts as poles fell on the road and transmission cables malfunctioned.
Several residents spent hours trapped in the dark until power could be restored.
‘Authorities on the job’
Many residents took to social media criticising the city’s poor infrastructure and the apathy of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Karnataka government towards the issue.
According to Home Minister G Parameshwara, for the last three days, Bengaluru has witnessed heavy rains.
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"During pre-monsoon, we usually see flooding and inundation. BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike ) has been on the job of clearing waterlogging and uprooted trees and branches from roads. Authorities are on the job," said the Home Minister.
A senior BBMP official said teams have been dispatched for flood response and they are pumping out water in many places.
Deeply concerned, say DKS
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar Monday expressed his concern over the havoc caused by heavy overnight downpour in the city.
“Deeply concerned by the havoc caused by relentless rains in Bengaluru. I’ve been in continuous touch with the concerned officers and I’m closely monitoring the situation,” DK Shivakumar said.
“As always, I remain committed to Bengaluru – working round the clock to address challenges and ensure relief," he added.
BBMP commissioner's visit
In Sai Layout, BBMP Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao on May 18 issued a slew of directions to ease the problem and find a permanent fix.
On Sunday (May 18), he visited the areas that were inundated and said the Bengaluru Development Authority will install temporary systems in select areas as an interim measure and a meeting will be held with officials of the authority to address the concerns promptly.
Make use of apps
Meanwhile, the officials have been asked to divert the traffic to adjacent roads from the main road and to stop vehicles from plying on flyovers whenever required. This move, according to the officials, is to prevent further off-roading and traffic jam on flyovers.
Traffic personnel have also been instructed to make use of the Road Easy app, Google Maps and FM radio to relay traffic updates and ensure smoother vehicle movement.