Commuters stuck in traffic on SJP Road on Tuesday.
Credit: DH photo/Prashanth HG
Bengaluru: Heavy rain on Tuesday severely impacted traffic movement across Bengaluru, particularly along the Outer Ring Road in the east and routes to the Kempegowda International Airport.
The India Meteorological Department’s Meteorological Centre reported 60 mm of rainfall at the Bengaluru city observatory by 5.30 pm, while the HAL airport observatory recorded 80.4 mm. Vidyaranyapura registered 80.5 mm, followed by Chowdeshwari at 79.5 mm, and HAL airport recording 78 mm as of 3 pm, according to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre.
The highest rainfall totals were seen in the Yelahanka, East, and Mahadevapura zones, as per the BBMP.
Flooding on Ballari Road near Hunsamaranahalli disrupted airport-bound traffic, prompting the police to issue advisories. Parts of the Outer Ring Road, especially near Marathahalli, were inundated. The situation worsened with tree falls, such as an incident near CMTI Junction where a large tree fell on two cars, slowing traffic for over two hours.
Senior police officers told DH that in addition to the rain, three primary factors contributed to the congestion.
First, the shoulder drains from Kadubeesanahalli to Marathahalli and at Kasturinagar were disconnected from larger drains due to the metro construction. Second, flooding in Manyata Tech Park paralysed traffic in the area. Third, the airport road experienced a 3.5-km jam near Hunsamaranahalli due to waterlogging.
However, the situation on Tuesday wasn’t as severe as on September 27, when the city saw unprecedented traffic congestion, they said. “This time, we stopped the entry of heavy goods vehicles by 2.30 pm and staggered the exit of tech park employees.”
Northeast monsoon sets in
The IMD announced on Tuesday that the southwest monsoon has withdrawn from Karnataka, while the northeast monsoon has begun over the southeast peninsular region.
Coastal and South Interior Karnataka are expected to receive widespread rains over the next four days.
IMD scientists forecast heavy to very heavy rain for districts, including Bengaluru Rural and Urban, Kolar, Chikkamagaluru, Ramanagara, Tumakuru, Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Belagavi, Dharwad, and Haveri.
An orange alert has been issued for the ghat districts such as Hassan, Kodagu, and Chikkamagaluru, while a yellow alert is in place for other districts.
WFH for techies
The Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society has advised IT-BT and private companies to allow employees to work from home on Wednesday as a precaution due to the rain forecast.