Bengaluru: Bengaluru has been facing relentless heavy rains over the past two days, causing widespread flooding and disruption across the city. This has brought back memories of the massive floods that hit Yelahanka’s Central Vihar Apartments three years ago. Residents of the apartment complex once again find themselves trapped as the area is submerged under approximately three feet of water. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner Tushar Girinath visited the affected area and ordered immediate actions to resolve the issue. A temporary drainage system has been set up, and fire engines are being used to pump out the water. Essential supplies like drinking water, milk, bread, and biscuits have been provided to residents through a help desk set up last evening.

To facilitate movement, two tractors have been arranged for the residents. The Commissioner also pointed out that Yelahanka Lake has two channels, and the northern channel needs intervention to reduce water flow. Over 20 BBMP officials have been deployed to actively work on solving the issue.

Meanwhile, Bengaluru’s urban life has been paralyzed by continuous downpours for the last 18 hours, leaving roads flooded like rivers, vehicles submerged, and apartment basements waterlogged. Many residents are unable to step out as vehicles in basements have been completely submerged. According to weather experts, the rains are the result of a depression over the Bay of Bengal, and the city can expect similar conditions for another two to three days.

In response, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has ordered BBMP to accelerate rain-related work across more than 100 locations in the city. Speaking at the BBMP Central Command Center, he confirmed that 65mm of rain fell on Tuesday alone, leading to 142 areas being waterlogged. Of these, 34 have been declared flood-prone, and immediate corrective actions have been initiated.

The impact of the heavy rains has also affected India’s leading tech hub, Manyata Tech Park. Spanning over 300 acres, the park has turned into a virtual lake with roads completely waterlogged, leaving commuters stranded. Additionally, a mudslide occurred near an under-construction building in the park, causing a large tree to fall within the premises, raising concerns about further landslides.

South Western Railway has also been affected, with several train services canceled due to submerged tracks. Ten trains scheduled to depart from Karnataka were canceled as water inundated the tracks near Basin Bridge and Vyasarpadi stations in Chennai. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of more heavy rains, thunderstorms, and lightning in coastal Karnataka, the northern interior, and southern interior regions, predicting a wet spell until October 18.

IMD officials have further stated that cloudy conditions will persist around Bengaluru and its surrounding areas for the next three to four days, as the region braces for more rainfall.