It was the same old story after Sunday night’s downpour

Uprooted trees and flooded roads causing frustrating traffic jams... It was the same old story after Sunday night’s downpour
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: It was Monday-morning blues, with several offices registering late attendance. Reason: employees were stuck in major traffic jams on Mysore Road, Old Madras Road and Intermediate Ring Road after a late-night downpour on Sunday.
The 43.4-mm rainfall received between 8.30 pm on Sunday and 8.30 am on Monday uprooted many trees and waterlogged several roads. Trees and branches came crashing down around Richmond Town, BRV junction, Langford Road, KR Road,
Sanjaynagar, Domlur, Jayanagar 4th Block, Chamarajpet 5th Main, Mahalakshmipuram, Basaveshwaranagar, Gayatrinagar, Indiranagar, Mysore Road and Old Madras Road.
The impact was felt in the morning, with office-goers getting stuck in jams. Slow clearance work affected traffic and the pile-ups spilled over to adjoining areas. OM Road, Intermediate Ring Road near Koramangala, MG Road, Brigade Road and surrounding areas were also affected.
“At 10 am, our narrow lane was full of vehicles as Mysore Road was blocked. Twowheelers tried to avoid the jam by entering by-lanes. For more than an hour, it was sheer madness,” said Lakshmikanth Shetty, who lives off Mysore Road.
SEVERE WATERLOGGING
An old retention wall of a storm water drain on Mysore Road collapsed. Fortunately, nobody was injured. There was severe waterlogging in Bommanahalli with a few low-lying areas getting submerged. “We woke up around 3 am after seeing water from the nearby drain gushing in. It didn’t stop till 6 am. With children around, it is a health hazard. Open drains in the area result in flooding,” said Nasreen Taj, who lives near Madinanagar slum in Bommanahalli.
Bannerghatta Road was inundated once again and people had to wade through knee-deep water near Ranka apartments. R Muniswamy, former councillor of Bommanahalli CMC, said: “Drain work is on for the last one year and the road is in a mess. Authorities should hasten up work and give some respite to residents.’’
A mini van toppled on Mysore Road and fell into the Vrishbhavathi valley. A playground at Hombegowdanagar near Wilson Garden was also waterlogged.
BUSY PUMPING OUT WATER
For residents of Sai Garden off Whitefield, it was yet another sleepless night as they pumped out water from their houses. The apartment complex was reduced to a cesspool as water from the adjacent lake and areas overflowed. “Two blocks are affected badly. The situation is the same every monsoon. We had water up to the knee level this morning. Thankfully, we didn’t have to deploy boats like last time,” said Rekha Jossen, a resident.