When it rains, 180 roads in Bengaluru get flooded; Hebbal Junction, Outer Ring Road top the list

Bengaluru: The waterlogged KR Circle underpass, where a woman tragically lost her life last year, should have served as a wake-up call for the city's municipal authorities. Yet, no lessons appear to have been learnt. 

Data from law enforcement agencies reviewed by DH reveals that at least 180 prominent roads in Bengaluru have reported severe waterlogging this monsoon. 

Twenty of these roads are located near Hebbal Circle and surrounding areas in northeastern Bengaluru. 

Five out of ten roads experiencing severe waterlogging are located along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) in the city's east and northeast. 

Hebbal Circle, a crucial link between the city and Kempegowda International Airport, is notorious for its crawling traffic and severe waterlogging issues. 

Data indicates that Hebbal Circle below the flyover is the most waterlogged intersection in the city. The situation is further aggravated by pothole-ridden roads around it, which are creating significant problems for two-wheelers, buses and other vehicles. 

Last week, an electric bus operated by the BMTC caught fire while navigating the ORR between Hebbal and Veerannapalya. A BMTC source had told DH that the fire was triggered by water entering the battery and causing a spark. Despite such incidents, the issue of waterlogging remains unsolved. 

While civic apathy and the blame game have been cited as factors contributing to the waterlogging, ongoing construction works also play a significant role. 

A well-placed source explained: "Waterlogging in several areas is due to ongoing metro and flyover construction projects. Dug-up roads are another reason." 

A police officer from northeastern Bengaluru noted that silt removed from stormwater drains had been piled up outside, only to be washed back into the drains with the rainfall, causing blockages. 

The ongoing construction of an up-ramp for the Hebbal flyover has proved to be another headache for traffic police deployed on the ground, the official added. 

Most waterlogged areas

Hebbal Circle, below the flyover

Outer Ring Road: Both sides of the service road between Nagavara Junction and Hebbal Circle

ORR: Kalyan Nagar Junction to Hennur Junction

ORR: Service road between Ramamurthy Nagar and Kasturi Nagar

ORR: Karthik Nagar/Doddanekkundi