Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
Heavy rains claimed the life of a woman in eastern Bengaluru and have sparked anger among residents who struggled to go about their daily lives as the city’s infrastructure crumbled following a night of heavy rain. With more rains predicted over the next few days, disruptions to daily life are likely to continue for the near future.
A 35-year-old woman named Shashikala, who worked as a sweeper, died in Mahadevapura after a wall collapsed on her while she was working at around 7 am on Monday, May 19. Mahadevapura police have registered a case in this regard.
Flooded roads, uprooted trees, and gridlocked traffic marked Bengaluru’s return to distressingly familiar scenes on Monday morning after a night of
pre-monsoon showers.
BBMP has urged citizens to report rain-related problems to the 1533 helpline or zonal control rooms.
Around 1,300 families in Chamarajpet were left struggling through Sunday night and Monday morning after water entered their homes. Residents of Bakshi Garden, Jolly Mohalla, Jai Bhim Nagar, Sudama Nagar posted visuals on social media that showed their loss of food, medicines, and damage to property.
Sai Layout in Horamavu, part of the Mahadevapura zone, was among the worst affected. With streets submerged under four to five feet of water authorities had to deploy tractors, earthmovers, fire engines, and 35 personnel for rescue.
Fire and Rescue Department personnel had to use inflatable boats to evacuate people from Sai Layout on Monday morning. This is a recurring phenomenon during heavy rains.
Across Bengaluru, commuters waded through knee-deep water on roads from Panathur and Koramangala to Domlur flyover and the upper ramp at Manyata Tech Park.
In Jayanagar, a tree collapsed onto parked vehicles, damaging a car and a jeep. East End Road was temporarily shut after another tree fell on the stretch.
Traffic was gridlocked across the city. Visuals shared on social media showed Silk Board Junction, one of the city’s most infamous chokepoints, completely jammed at 7:20 am, a typically non-peak hour.
Other affected areas included Marathahalli, Chinnappanahalli, Panathur, Ibballur Junction, Kothanur, Sunil Layout, and Haralur.
In the East Zone, overflowing stormwater drains led to waterlogging in HBR Layout, Byrasandra, Kempegowda Road, and Kamaraj Nagar, where pumps and tractors were deployed.
Bommanahalli reported stagnant water in HSR Layout and Bannerghatta Road, with homes in Yelachenahalli affected.
In the South Zone, inadequate drain width near Madivala caused flooding in Ejipura and Agara. Near Bellandur, temporary dam clearing helped ease water flow.
The Vrishabhavathi Valley overflowed near Gali Anjaneya Temple, flooding homes. In Rajarajeshwari Nagar, water entered homes and cattle sheds in Ideal Homes and Vijayatrika Badavane, while five cattle died in Shabhavati Valley.
Dasarahalli saw water enter homes in KG Halli, Medarahalli, and Vidyanagar. KP Agrahara in the West Zone faced rising drain water, flooding 20 homes.
Across the city, 27 trees and 41 branches fell; BBMP deployed 30 teams to clear debris. The Yelahanka zone was spared significant flooding, with all lakes at full capacity but no major issues reported despite heavy rain in areas like Chowdeshwari Layout.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded 103 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, with more showers forecast in the coming days. The BBMP said Bengaluru received an average of 66 mm of rainfall between 10 pm and 6 am on May 19, with the highest recorded in Kengeri (132 mm) and the lowest in Gottigere (32 mm).
The BBMP said its teams were deployed to clear fallen trees and waterlogged roads. “During pre-monsoon, we usually see flooding and inundation. Authorities are on the job,” said Home Minister Parameshwara.
Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar took to X (formerly Twitter) to address the chaos, saying he was "working round the clock to address challenges and ensure relief." He added that he was in constant touch with civic authorities and would personally visit the BBMP War Room and flood-affected areas.
“As always, I remain committed to Bengaluru — working round the clock to address challenges and ensure relief. I will be visiting the BBMP War Room and flood-affected areas personally to take stock on ground,” he wrote.
However, he sought to mitigate the current government’s responsibility. “Let us be clear: the issues we face today are not new. They have been ignored for years, across governments. The only difference now is—we are working to solve them. Not with temporary fixes, but with long-term, sustainable solutions,” he said.
Several BJP leaders, including MLA CN Ashwath Narayan and Bengaluru MP PC Mohan, hit out at the Congress government, pointing to repeated civic failures during rains and poor drainage infrastructure in the IT capital.