Bengaluru rains: Ordeal of residents in layouts prone to flooding continues

Residents face severe flooding, property damage, and ineffective response from authorities, highlighting the urgent need for infrastructure improvements.

The daily wage labourers residing at an independent house at Sri Sai Layout woke up when their shirts started to feel moist, only to see water surrounding them. The stench was unbearable as the rainwater that entered the house was mixed with sanitary water. 

Neelufar Ahmed, the owner of the house who has rented the ground floor to daily wage labourers, said at least 25-30 houses in the layout were flooded following heavy rain on Sunday night (August 11) and Monday morning (August 12). The people were seen struggling to clear water and despite calling the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, no one responded, she alleged. 

Ms. Ahmed further said every year, the residents, including her have to set aside money to clean the homes after flooding. This has become a routine affair during the monsoon. “Every year, elected representatives visit the area and make promises of fixing the problem, but till today nothing has happened,” she said.

She said while seven streets were inundated, water from overflowing commodes of the washrooms also entered houses and blamed the faulty drainage system. 

Residents of Sonestaa Silver Oak in Thubarahalli, Whitefield, had to deal with their apartment’s boundary wall collapsing. The 15-ft-tall boundary wall is constructed 6 to 7 feet lower than adjacent areas. Water-logging on the other side of the wall is a yearly affair, but was exacerbated by ongoing construction less than a foot away from it this year. A huge influx of water knocked down the wall, damaging water pipes and flooding the entire ground-floor parking area. 

Concerned residents called the Fire Department immediately who worked relentlessly for 6 hours to drain the water. There was minor damage to some vehicles with one scooter being knocked over and breaking its side mirrors.