Bengaluru witnessed widespread flooding across multiple localities on Monday morning following a torrential downpour on Sunday night, exposing the city’s fragile urban infrastructure. Several roads turned into rivers, severely affecting traffic and daily life.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bengaluru City recorded 105.5 mm of rainfall by 8:30 am Monday, with nearly 90 mm falling overnight. Kengeri saw 132 mm, marking it as the second-highest May rainfall in a decade, just behind the 155 mm recorded in May 2022. The city crossed the 100 mm mark in May for only the second time in ten years.
Flooded areas included Wilson Garden, HSR Layout, Nandagokula Layout, HBR Layout, Hennur, Manyata Tech Park, Koramangala ST Bed Layout, and Silk Board. Traffic crawled along major corridors such as Outer Ring Road, Silk Board junction, NICE Road, Kanakapura Main Road, and key underpasses, many of which were submerged.
Emergency response teams deployed earthmovers and tractors to clear waterlogged zones. At Sai Layout, inflatable boats were used for rescue operations, while the Shantinagar BMTC bus depot was flooded. The Electronics City flyover was temporarily shut due to heavy waterlogging at Roopena Agrahara.
Residents criticized the civic authorities for negligence. Uma Mani of HSR Layout said stormwater drains were clogged or incomplete, adding that local officials cited lack of funds when questioned.
Even police infrastructure wasn’t spared. Rainwater flooded the Central Crime Branch (CCB) office in Shanthinagar, though no damage to case files was reported.