A single spell of heavy rain brought Bengaluru's tech corridor to a grinding halt, once again exposing the vulnerability of the Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch to waterlogging and traffic congestion. Flooded roads and slow-moving vehicles led to massive delays across key IT hubs on Tuesday evening.
Panathur Stretch Worst Hit
The infamous Panathur stretch witnessed severe flooding despite recent widening of the railway underpass and Panathur S-Cross. Residents reported that while road-widening works had been completed, no corresponding drainage improvements were undertaken, resulting in waterlogging at the underpass for several hours.
Impact Across ORR
The impact was felt across the entire ORR, with traffic snarls reported from Bellandur, Doddanakundi, and Devarabeesanahalli stretches. Commuters faced significant delays as waterlogged roads and poor parallel road conditions compounded the problem.
Pavitra Holla, a regular ORR commuter, shared her experience: "I left office around 5pm but reached home, which is 7km away, only at 7.40pm. The roads were waterlogged, and the poor condition of parallel stretches added further pressure on ORR."
Another Panathur resident recounted that his son, traveling from Marathahalli in a school bus, took nearly one-and-a-half hours to reach home due to waterlogged roads and traffic congestion. The incident highlights the persistent infrastructure challenges in Bengaluru's tech hub, where rapid development has not kept pace with drainage needs.
Call for Better Drainage
Local residents and commuters are urging authorities to prioritize drainage improvements alongside road widening projects to prevent future disruptions. The recurring waterlogging on ORR not only causes daily inconvenience but also impacts productivity in the city's economic engine.
