Bengaluru: Flooded roads, fallen trees, long traffic jams and stranded commuters waiting for public transport – this was the common scene across the city on Friday morning. The night-long incessant rains brought traffic to its knees and potholes led to further slowing down of traffic and the traffic police had a tough time.
For many, the Friday morning's commute was nightmarish as they spent more than four hours just to cover 15-20 km. The stretch between Silk Board Junction and Jayadeva Hospital in BTM Layout got flooded with almost three feet water. Slow moving traffic was witnessed at Minerva Circle towards Town Hall Junction on J.C. Road; Siddapura Junction towards Lal Bagh Main Gate Junction; Krishna Flour Mill junction towards Okalipuram and at Pottery Circle towards Tannery Road. Water logging and potholes affected traffic flow at Khoday’s Railway Bridge, Platform Road and Richmond Road. Traffic snarls were also reported in J.P. Nagar, Jayanagar in southern part of the city while slow movement of vehicles was reported on the Mysuru Road and Kanakapura Road. Traffic on the South Eastern part of the city was the worst affected due to heavy water logging. Slow moving traffic was reported at Hoodi Junction towards ITPL, Graphite India main road, BEL circle towards Goraguntepalya on the Outer Ring Road, BTM Layout towards Silk Board junction, Agara, Bellandur and Iblur. Traffic at Veersandra Junction in Electronics City had to be diverted due to overflow of water from the adjacent lake.
Traffic was hit due to water logging at Selam Bridge in Doddenekkundhi. Potholes and ongoing BWSSB works and flooding due to incessant rains resulted in traffic gridlocks at Ashirwad Junction and D’Souza Junction at Doddenekkundhi. Traffic at MM Temple on the Old Madras Road was also hit. A tree fall near Command Hospital threw traffic out of gear for several hours. Nine vehicles – four cars, two autos and three two wheelers – were damaged due to wall collapse at an Indian Air Force campus at Sanjay Nagar in Marathahalli.
Distress calls
Over 250 Fire and Emergency Service personnel and 75 men from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were pressed into service since early hours of Friday after their control rooms were flooded with calls seeking help. Calls poured in from several inundated areas in Kodichikkanahalli after Hulimavu and Arkere lakes breached. BTM Layout, Begur and Bilekehalli were flooded with Madiwala lake waters. HSR Layout, Garvebhavipalaya and Bommanahalli were in knee deep waters after the Begur Lake overflowed. Several parts of Electronic City and Daddi’s Layout were flooded after the Hebbagodi Lake breached its level. Water overflowed onto the Outer Ring Road from Bellandur lake near Yemalur, officers said.
