33 stretches flagged by traffic police were flooded, over 40 trees fell during May 13 rain in Bengaluru

Several trees and branches that had fallen on May 13 night had not been cleared, disrupting traffic in many areas on May 14 morning.

The spell of heavy rain and gusty winds that hit Bengaluru on May 13 evening and night once again exposed the chinks in the city’s civic infrastructure.

Commuters had a tough time navigating inundated and water-logged roads, not only on May 13 evening, but also the next morning with office-going traffic out of gear in many stretches on May 14. For instance, the railway underbridge at Hoodi, an important link, was flooded on May 14 morning as well, said K. R. Puram traffic police on social media platform X.

Several trees and branches that had fallen on May 13 night had not been cleared, disrupting traffic in many areas.

Significant water-logging was observed on the Nagavara-Hebbal flyover stretch on Outer Ring Road, Hebbal-Jakkur stretch, Hunasamaranahalli on Ballari Road, Hoodi railway underpass, Electronics City flyover, among other places.

“From Mehkri Circle till Jakkur, the road was heavily waterlogged. As there was water-logging on the Hebbal flyover, traffic moved at a snail’s pace. Many were stuck on the road on two-wheelers. While even in peak traffic hours, it usually takes 15-20 mins to cross Hebbal, it took over 35 mins on May 13 night even after 10.30 pm,” said R. Saroja, a resident of Yelahanka.

A senior traffic official said that they had observed significant water-logging at 33 locations on May 13 evening, and had reported the same to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). “Many of these stretches have been seeing inundation and water-logging almost with every spell of rain. We have repeatedly flagged these spots to the civic body, but haven’t seen any change on the ground. While clogged drains are a key concern and need regular maintenance, some of these stretches need engineering interventions, but we don’t know why they are not being carried out,” the official said.

For instance, the Veerannapalya stretch between Nagavara and Hebbal, inundation on Hebbal and Electronics City flyovers were an issue that had come to the fore during the 2024 monsoon as well.