An aerial view of a waterlogged Kogilu Cross.
Credit: DH photo
Bengaluru: The city’s worst nightmare unfolded on Tuesday morning as the northern parts of Bengaluru flooded, causing severe traffic disruptions following heavy rains the previous night.
In Tata Nagar, home to retired IISc employees, residents awoke to lake water surging into their homes, damaging furniture, appliances, and vehicles.
This disaster struck early Tuesday after Doddabommasandra Lake overflowed, leaving knee-deep water in its wake by the afternoon. Rescue officials and volunteers deployed tractors and boats to evacuate residents and distribute food and water.
“There was about 1.5 feet of water by 3 am. Seven of us have lived here for 10 years, and this is the first time (flooding) has happened. Everything inside the house is spoiled, and all our vehicles are ruined. We do not know what to do,” lamented Mani, a retired technical officer at IISc.
At Yelahanka’s Kendriya Vihar apartments, which faced flooding for the third time this month, the compound wall behind the C7 and C8 blocks collapsed, letting water from the Yelahanka Lake inundate basements and homes. At least 2,500 residents across 602 units were affected, awakening to a deluge in the early hours. Many expressed their sorrow over lost possessions while being rescued by NDRF personnel.
“We woke up at 2 am to water seeping in through the door. We used tons of cloth to block it, but had to move to the third floor and eventually needed rescue,” recalled an elderly woman who was lifted out on a chair.
Shashi, a businessman, noted that residents would have to temporarily relocate to hotels or relatives’ homes for at least the next four days. Several elderly people were transported to ambulances, while a couple engaged in a heated argument with NDRF personnel.
Bharatadri, a resident who temporarily moved out after last week’s flooding, said, “My car was completely submerged and suffered severe damage costing Rs 60,000 to fix. For now, I’m staying with my son in Basaveshwar Nagar.”
Murphy Town and Sai Layout, like many areas flooded earlier this week, were inundated again on Tuesday morning. Residents witnessed ration, appliances, utensils, and furniture floating in the water, with snakes also spotted slithering through the flooded streets.
Jhansi, a resident, expressed frustration over the damage caused inside her home. “The water is as high as the bed. We have no place to sit,” she said. With seven children in the family, the impact was significant. “We cannot even eat at home and rely on a nearby temple for a single meal each day. The children are scared all the time,” added Selvi, Jhansi’s aunt.
Areas like Bellandur, Sarjapur, and Rainbow Drive were no better.
Varghese Thomas, a resident of Sarjapur, described the nightmare traffic: “The jam from Wipro office at Doddakannelli to St Jerome’s PU College was unbearable today (Tuesday). It’s hard to drive from Muthanallur to Chandapura. This has become a daily struggle. School buses and ambulances get stuck for hours.”
(with inputs from Naveen Menezes, Himadyuthi Despande and Shantanu Hornad)