Mahadevapura residents struggle due to waterlogging, bad visibility

BENGALURU: Waterlogging and poor visibility caused by Tuesday evening's rain led to terrible traffic snarls, Mahadevapura residents told TOI.
On social media, people shared videos and images of an upscale gated society pumping out the rainwater, that had collected at their premises, on to the public roads -- oblivious to the safety hazards such an action posed to those residing beyond the walls of their community.
Citizens said government apathy, coupled with public indifference towards the issues faced by areas such as Mahadevapura every time it rains, was responsible for the chaotic situation that prevailed on Tuesday evening.
Vishnu Prasad, a Bellandur resident, said it rained for about an hour in his area and the major choke points were near RMZ Eco Space and Sarjapur Main Road.
"When it rains, there's always traffic jam as vehicles tend to move slower than usual. Waterlogging also impedes traffic movement," he said.
The rain also reduced visibility. Sandeep Anirudhan, a Whitefield resident, said the winds were very strong and "at one time, there was practically zero visibility".
"I reside between Kundanahalli and Siddapura. Our area was not as badly affected and I've been told that the water that had collected on the main road dissipated 20 minutes after the rain stopped," said Arvind Keerthi, a member of Brookefield Layout Residents' Association.
Metro debris clogs drains
A member of the Mahadevapura Task Mobility Force attributed the flooding of roads to clogged drains along the ITPL Main Road due to dumping of debris by the contractors working for Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).
"We identified the root cause of the flooding on Whitefield Main Road with just 30 minutes of rain. A truckload of debris dumped in an open space on the road by an agency that had built the Whitefield Metro station, led to flooding of the roads. The debris had clogged the drains and flowed on to the roads, forcing motorists to wade through the slush," the member said.
The underpass at Kadubeesanahalli was blocked for about an hour because of waterlogging. People returning home in cars and on two-wheelers were stuck.