Bengaluru Rains: Residents complain about potholes, flooded basements

Bengaluru's rains that were thought to be a point of attraction has its disadvantages as residents take to Twitter to complain about the potholes and flooding owing to poor infrastructure and failing drainage systems.

Bengaluru saw a cloudy sky on Thursday with a few isolated spells of rain, as will be the case for the rest of the week, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The city's untimely rains have done much damage to it's already poor infrastructure, causing uprooted trees, electric poles, power shutdowns, deaths by electrocution, waterlogging, flooding and traffic congestions.

Potholes turn deadlier than ever before amid heavy showers in Bengaluru. (Source: Shruti Agrawal/Twitter)

A few select locations in the Karnataka capital see flooded roads every monsoon and the same happened at the Rainbow Drive Layout in Sarjapur, wherein the area's residents wrote an open letter to Mahadevapura MLA Arvind Limbavali, alerting him of the constant flooding near their homes, which reportedly left them stranded for more than 20 hours.

The Met centre for Bengaluru said on its Twitter account that Bengaluru for the next 24 hours will see generally cloudy skies with a few spells of rain very likely, heavy at times.

“This is to bring to your urgent notice about the plight of 1000+ people living in fear of rain, flooding, power outages and cut-off from emergency help and at Rainbow Drive Layout, Sarjapur Main Road. We had major flooding during pre-monsoon rain on 5th May 2022 and citizens were stranded for over 20 hours without any access to medical help or cut off from the outside world, with elderly people suffering the most,” the letter dated May 10 read.

A report published by The Indian Express said residents also wrote to the city's local administrative body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Panchayat and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, but in vain.

Residents who were previously enjoying the rains that brought relief from the scorching heat took to Twitter to express frustration at the failure of the officials to foresee and prevent the problems that rain on the city every monsoon season. One Twitter user wrote: “Please don't rain so much Bengaluru. Don't forget our infra is handled by BBMP.”

The rains in Bengaluru have even sparked serious concerns for the safety of citizens, with potholes becoming a death trap for most bikers. The infamous potholes of the city have taken many a life in the past and have come to become ever the more dangerous when filled with water. 

The report on The Indian Express said two celebrities have had to be hospitalised in the last week alone due to injuries sustained from bad roads and rain, after falling into an uncovered drain in Bommanahalli, which was not visible as the road was inundated with water. 

The Doddakallasandra lake protection committee also shared images of uprooted trees and requested the BBMP for help.

Moreover, the unseasonal showers have hit several businesses such as street vendors and even pushed up vegetable prices in Bengaluru. Residents also lamented the frequent power cuts in the city, with one writing on Twitter that electricity is cut even when it doesn't rain in the city and is affecting work from home.