BENGALURU: Heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms lashed several parts of Bengaluru on Friday, leading to severe waterlogging, flooded underpasses and traffic disruptions across the city.
Areas including Central Silk Board Junction, Sadashivanagar, Mekhri Circle, Majestic, Seshadripuram, Rajajinagar, Malleshwaram, Shivajinagar, Vasanthanagar and Mahalakshmi Layout witnessed heavy flooding following intense showers through the day.
Several flyover entry and exit points, including stretches near the Silk Board double-decker flyover and HSR Layout approach roads, were inundated, making commuting difficult for motorists. Waterlogging and sludge accumulation near Silk Board junction posed risks to commuters, while many two-wheeler riders were seen taking shelter under bus stops, metro stations and flyovers to escape the downpour.
The overnight rainfall on Thursday had already exposed infrastructure gaps in multiple low-lying areas of the city. Localities such as Marathahalli, HSR Layout, Jayadeva Junction and Central Silk Board recorded severe flooding, with water levels near Central Silk Board Metro Station rising up to two to three feet in some stretches.
Speaking to TNIE, KV Ravi, Chief Engineer, Zone 2 of the Bengaluru South City Corporation, said the Silk Board area has been vulnerable to flooding because it is a very low-lying zone where rainwater runoff becomes difficult during heavy showers.
He said one of the major issues was that roads in these stretches were initially supposed to be constructed with certain elevation and heightening measures, which were not adequately implemented. According to Ravi, civic authorities have now initiated road-heightening works in flood-prone areas such as HSR Layout and similar projects are planned in Dollars Colony and other vulnerable localities.
He added that the civic body would begin road-heightening and flood mitigation works at the Silk Board stretch within the next 15 days.