Karnataka rains: Hubballi homes flooded after heavy downpour, residents blame clogged drains

Heavy rainfall in Hubballi, Karnataka, caused significant flooding in low-lying areas, particularly Ganesh Nagar.

Heavy rainfall lashed Karnataka's Hubballi on Monday night, leaving several parts of the city inundated and exposing long-standing issues with the city’s drainage infrastructure. Low-lying areas bore the brunt, as rainwater gushed into homes, especially in Ganesh Nagar and Old Hubballi, forcing residents to deal with knee-deep water and waterlogged living spaces.

Hubballi city was flooded due to heavy rains. (Pic for representation)(AFP)

In Ganesh Nagar, more than 30 homes were flooded after rainwater overflowed from clogged drains, soaking belongings and leaving residents frustrated. Locals said this has become a recurring nightmare after every spell of heavy rain.

 Speaking to ANI, a resident named Prakash said, "The gutters here are choked with 4 to 5 feet of plastic waste and mud. Nothing is cleaned. The authorities claim the drainage system is sufficient, but year after year, our homes are flooded because the water simply has nowhere to go."

Further adding to the chaos, a Tempo Traveller carrying 13 passengers, along with two cars, got stuck in a submerged stretch of service road near the Rayanal underpass along the under-construction Hubballi-Dharwad bypass. Thankfully, all occupants were rescued safely and no injuries were reported.

By early morning, with water levels slowly receding, two-wheeler riders were seen cautiously attempting to navigate flooded stretches across the city.

Residents pointed out that while the flooding recurs each monsoon, the local administration has failed to take preventive action. The open stormwater drains have not been desilted or maintained, leading to backflow and stagnation during intense downpours.

"Despite repeated appeals to the area MLA, nothing is done. Every household in Ganesh Nagar suffered last night," Prakash added.

Meanwhile, Bengaluru also saw heavy rains on Tuesday evening, which resulted in civic mess across the city. Key areas like Manyata Tech park got heavily flooded and commuters faced inconvenience due to waterlogging.  

(With agency inputs)