As Bengaluru gets inundated in rains, netizens flood social media

Amid the heavy downpour in Bengaluru, residents of many flood-affected areas have taken to social media to pour out their woes ranging from waterlogging to complaining about "crumbling" infrastructure. 

The India meteorological department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for both Bengaluru Urban and Rural for Monday.

The administration has declared a holiday for schools following heavy stagnation of water at crucial junctions of the city like the Silk Board, making going from one place to another almost impossible.

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, for its part, has issued an advisory urging people to “stay indoors, close windows and doors and avoid travel if possible”.

But these announcements came under criticism from netizens as in some parts of Bengaluru the sun shone brightly.

Although those in affected areas have posted videos and photos of their inundated roads and service roads, justifying the need for holiday and the work-from-home option.

Climate scientist Pradeep, who keeps a tab on rains in Bengaluru, via @Bengalururain, has observed that such morning thunderstorms in October are rare. “Some parts of West Bengaluru crossed 60mm. However, it appears to have slightly weakened," he posted on his X page Bengaluru Rain Alert.

One of the X users, Dr Rajath Athreya (@FoolzWizdom), a neonatologist from Bengaluru had posted videos from Outer Ring Road (ORR).

“This is now on a stretch of ORR, which doesn't usually get inundated. Anyone that does not need to be out on the roads please do not venture out,” he commented.

Another user, @travel_vb, had also posted videos from Ring Road, stating that, “Crumbling infrastructure in a city where everyone works so hard every single day and pays some of the highest taxes only to deserve hazardous living conditions.”

The official handle of Citizens Movement, East Bengaluru, also questioned the never-ending taxes imposed on citizens while giving them subpar infrastructure.

“If the government can't maintain the Silk Board, one of the Char Dhams of #Bengalurutraffic why dream of imposing new taxes in Bengaluru,” the handle posted along with videos of inundated Silk Board junction.

Some have also questioned the wisdom of declaring a holiday after 8 am, when most school students would already be in their schools or would have been on their way.

V Chandramouli, Managing Editor of a Telugu television channel, has posted on X at about 8am that parents in his areas which have been witnessing heavy rains, are still waiting for a message from the school management for the holiday to be declared.

X user @bhaskar_naik had posted, tagging deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, “Why not declare holiday in advance, at least before 6.30 am? kindly instruct Bengaluru DC.”

Another X user @itsKingAppu has posted videos from near Bellandur complaining that while it is impossible to step out from his home, his company refused to let him work from home.

Meanwhile, those who ventured out faced massive traffic jams, especially near Old Madras Road.

Karnataka Weather (@Bnglrweatherman), the X handle that tracks rain in Karnataka, has said that conditions are very favourable for very good thunderstorms today.

Kirthiga Murugesan, Senior Programme Associate (Geo Analytics, Sustainable Cities and Transport) at World Resources Institute India said on her X account (@smkirthiga) the active Bay and Arabian Sea is helping in convergence of westerlies and easterlies post noon hours in south Gujarat, Maharashtra, interiors of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu causing moderate to heavy rains in evening to night.

“Today's critical places are Bengaluru, Mumbai, Nashik Tiruppur and Salem,” she stated.