Bengaluru floods: Here is why this Indian IT hub was hit really hard by waterlogging

The IT hub of India and Karnataka’s capital Bengaluru was hit hard on Monday by torrential rain leaving many parts of the city flooded. Bengaluru witnessed record breaking rains which led to waterlogging in many parts of the city, especially in South and East Bengaluru. People living in the low-lying areas including the posh Koramangala were affected the most with their houses being flooded and their streets been totally waterlogged, some areas were as much as knee-deep under water. According to a report by ANI, at least 17 different locations in the city recorded waterlogging. Residents had to use pump sets to remove the water from their houses leaving us with big questions: what led to this chaos? And, why was the IT hub hit so hard?

Janata Dal (Secular) leader Danish Ali told ANI that land grabbing was the reason behind waterlogging in Bangalore. He said most lakes in the city have been encroached by powerful people and unless that problem is solved, the conditions won’t improve. “Waterlogging in Bangalore is taking place because of land grabbing. Most of the lakes and wells are encroached by land mafias, politicians and bureaucrats. Unless and until an action against these encroachments is taken, these issues will remain the same,” he said.

According to the Meteorological Department, the HAL station recorded 14.4 cm and the City station 12.9 cm of rainfall in a span of 24 hours. The data by the department hinted that heavy rains were due to a cyclonic trough formation over the Bay of Bengal. Meanwhile, Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) recorded the highest rainfall at Bilekahalli, off Bannerghatta Road, which received a rainfall of 18 cms.

Due to these rains, the water levels in the city have risen so much that the gates of the houses are partially under water. The water level has risen on roads as well partially sinking parked vehicles and houses. Even the Bellandur Lake began to froth after the city witnessed rain. Residents are now struggling to get the muddy waters out of their houses.