From Silicon Valley To Swimming Pool: Bengaluru's Wet Woe

Bengaluru (Bangalore), India, recently experienced severe weather, with heavy pre-monsoon rainfall causing widespread disruption, waterlogging, and even fatalities. The city, often dubbed India's "Silicon Valley," was brought to a standstill by the deluge, exposing critical weaknesses in its urban infrastructure.

(Photo Credit: PTI) From Silicon Valley To Swimming Pool

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Rainfall Intensity And Impact:

1) Record-breaking downpour: Bengaluru was battered by approximately 130mm of rainfall in just 12 hours from Sunday evening (May 18) to early Monday morning (May 19), and additional heavy showers continued into Tuesday. This is reportedly the second-highest rainfall in a decade for the city and a rare intensity for May. Some areas, like Kengeri (132mm), Vaderahalli (131mm), and Chikkabanavara (127mm), received rainfall far exceeding the stormwater drain capacity of 70mm.

2) Widespread waterlogging: The heavy rainfall led to extensive waterlogging across the city. Key areas severely affected include Koramangala, Basavanagudi, Marathahalli, HAL Airport, Silk Board Junction, Manyata Tech Park, BTM Layout, Ejipura Junction, HSR Layout, Electronic City, Yelahanka, and RR Nagar. Sai Layout was particularly notorious for being heavily inundated, resembling an island.

3) Submerged infrastructure: Underpasses, flyovers, and major arterial roads were submerged, rendering them unusable. The Electronics City elevated expressway and the Outer Ring Road stretch towards Marathahalli were shut due to severe flooding. Even the Central Crime Branch office was flooded, damaging official records.

4) Property damage: Over 500 homes were flooded, with ground floors of many houses partially submerged. Twenty out of 29 lakes in Yelahanka reached full capacity, and over 20 lakes city-wide were close to overflowing. The compound wall of an IT firm in Mahadevapura collapsed, causing a fatality.

Disruption To Daily Life:

1) Fatalities: The heavy rains resulted in at least five rain-related deaths in Karnataka, with three in Bengaluru. These included a 35-year-old housekeeping staffer killed by a collapsing compound wall, and a 63-year-old man and a 12-year-old boy who were electrocuted while trying to pump out rainwater from a flooded basement.

2) Traffic chaos: The most immediate and visible impact was severe traffic congestion and gridlock across the city. Commuters faced significant difficulties, with some reporting travel times of over two hours for just 7 km. Vehicles were submerged or swept away, and public transport services, including BMTC buses, were severely affected, with one bus depot entirely underwater.

3) Work-from-home calls: The disruption led to a strong demand from Bengaluru's large IT workforce for mandatory work-from-home policies during extreme weather. Many tech companies had already asked their employees to work remotely due to flooded roads.

4) Rescue operations: Authorities, including the State Disaster Response Force, deployed boats and tractors to evacuate residents from heavily flooded homes and neighborhoods, particularly in areas like Sai Layout. Food and water were distributed to affected residents.

5) Power outages: Damage to power infrastructure left many homes in the dark.

6) Health concerns: Water contamination is a concern during floods, and residents were advised to use boiled or bottled water. Health camps were organized in affected areas.

Underlying Causes And Preparedness:

1) Exceeded drainage capacity: The sheer volume of rainfall significantly exceeded Bengaluru's stormwater drain capacity, which is typically designed for 70mm.

2) Outdated infrastructure: Officials acknowledge that the city's existing drainage systems, designed for 40mm to 70mm of rain, are outdated and can no longer cope with the increasing intensity of rainfall.

3) Poor urban planning and encroachment: Experts and residents frequently blame rapid and unplanned construction over the city's lakes and wetlands, along with the encroachment and blockage of stormwater drains (rajakaluves), as major contributors to the recurring flooding. Natural wetlands and ancient drainage channels have been diverted or replaced by narrow drains.

4) Civic apathy and lack of accountability: There has been widespread criticism from citizens and the opposition regarding the city's crumbling infrastructure and the perceived failure of civic authorities to adequately address long-standing issues despite significant allocations (e.g., Rs 2,000 crore for storm water drains).

5) Monsoon preparedness: While the Deputy Chief Minister stated that flooding issues had been resolved in 70% of the 210 identified flood-prone areas, the recent events suggest otherwise for many parts of the city. Authorities have taken some measures, such as clearing outflow points of lakes, removing garbage and silt from drains, and planning for box culverts. However, promises like lake connectivity and strict bans on construction near SWDs are yet to be fully implemented.

The ongoing heavy rainfall, attributed to the convergence of two low-pressure systems and intense thunderstorms, and further influenced by a cyclonic circulation over the Arabian Sea, has prompted the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue an orange alert for Bengaluru, warning of continued very heavy rainfall. The city faces an urgent need for comprehensive, long-term solutions to its infrastructure challenges to mitigate the impact of such severe weather events in the future.