Heavy rains flood Bengaluru, waterlogged roads stall traffic

In Karnataka, heavy overnight rains severely affected parts of the Bengaluru city on Monday, leading to water-logged roads, inundated residential areas and traffic pile-up, as the city braces for more spells in the coming days.Bengaluru received 103 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, according to an IMD bulletin. According to Home Minister G Parameshwara, for the last three days, Bengaluru has witnessed heavy rains. "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," he said.

One of the worst rain-affected areas in Bengaluru so far was Sai Layout in Horamavu, which falls in the Mahadevapura zone. Earlier, pre-monsoon rain submerged the layout with 4-5ft of water, leaving streets flooded to knee level. According to reports, the residents have blamed clogged drains and claimed that despite repeated complaints to the authorities, they were not cleaned. Water entered homes in NC Colony on Tannery Road as well.

Waterlogged roads in different parts of the city had made commuting a nightmare for people. Despite constant traffic alerts by the traffic police about slow-moving traffic in several places, people pushing their stuck cars in knee-deep water could be spotted at places like Panathur S Cross, upper ramp of Domlur flyover and Koramangala, which are prone to waterlogging. Traffic was also slow near Manyata Tech Park.
The social media was flooded with videos of waterlogged roads from various parts of the IT capital, highlighting how the city collapses when there is rain. This pre-monsoon season, according to hobby weather watchers of the city, Bengaluru has been witnessing 15 to 20 cm of rainfall for the last couple of days.

Good morning Bengaluru!#BengaluruRain #bengalurufloods
pic.twitter.com/0JQcCKTwIH

— Citizens Movement, East Bengaluru (@east_bengaluru) May 19, 2025

Although no injuries have been reported, a tree that was uprooted in the heavy rains in Jayanagar fell on a parked car and a jeep, damaging them. East End Road towards Mount Carmel School Road was also temporarily closed as a tree fell on the stretch.Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra said,Bengaluru is drowning due to heavy rains and is totally flooded, but Deputy CM DK Shivakumar is busy in his bike rally, while the state Home Minister is blaming the public.

VIDEO | Bengaluru Rains: Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra (@BYVijayendra) says, "Bengaluru is drowning due to heavy rains and is totally flooded, but Deputy CM DK Shivakumar is busy in his bike rally, while the state Home Minister is blaming the public. I really don't… pic.twitter.com/opIt3PpV5y

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 19, 2025

Meanwhile, the yellow alert issued on May 18 to some regions in Karnataka, including Bengaluru, remains valid for Monday and Tuesday as well, said India Meteorological Department's Bengaluru centre Director N Puviarasu. The department is studying the current pattern of the air circulation and will later issue a weather update. "As per the current pattern of the cyclonic circulation, Karnataka, especially the coastal parts will get heavy rainfall. Bengaluru is also expected to receive heavy rainfall for the next two days," he said. On Sunday, IMD had issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall across 23 districts in Karnataka, including Bengaluru, till Thursday. The affected districts include Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Tumakuru, Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan, Kodagu, Belagavi, Bidar, Raichur, Yadgir, Davanagere, and Chitradurga.

Let me put it out loud and clear for Bengaluru folks.

Stay off the roads for next 3 days and opt for work from home if possible.

High chances of continued heavy rainfall which could lead to substantial floods. pic.twitter.com/saBne8dGLU

— West Coast Weatherman (@RainTracker) May 19, 2025

As per the alert issued by IMD on Monday morning, inclement weather is being driven by an upper-air cyclonic circulation over the Southeast Bay of Bengal and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, along with a trough extending from Telangana to North Tamil Nadu, which is pulling in significant moisture and intensifying rainfall across southern India. Several parts of Karnataka have also been receiving good rainfall, especially the Malenadu region and coastal Karnataka.

(State Correspondent)