Study finds 10 major traffic junctions in Bengaluru prone to flooding during monsoon

At least 10 junctions in Bengaluru city are vulnerable to water-logging and cause for heavy traffic jams when the city receives normal to heavy rains, according to a study done after the 2022 flooding. Many of these junctions are flooded again.

Among these are Kumaraswamy Layout, Ibbaluru, Goraguntepalya, Silk Board, K.R. Puram Railway Station signal, Kadubeesanahalli, Sarakki signal, Dairy Circle, Banashankari Signal and Kadubeesanahalli.

2022 floods

The city-based Institute for Social and Economic Change’s study on “Environmental Problems and Congestion: Evolving Sustainable Solutions for Bengaluru’s Development” submitted to the Karnataka government after the 2022 floods in the city noted that “impact of floods is high” at five major junctions: Silk Board, Sarakki, Dairy Circle, Goraguntepalya, and Kadubeesanahalli.

For instance at Silk Board junction, the study noted, solid waste dumping in storm water drains resulted in flooding and congestion. It recommended fencing of the storm water drain. During the September 2022 floods, the campus of the Silk Research Institute was inundated at various locations.

At the Sarakki signal, the capacity of drains was insufficient. “Water oozes out from manholes during heavy rains. All four lanes are having water logging issues. The capacity of drains need to be improved to avoid from manholes,” it noted.

At K.R. Puram railway station signal, it said there are two underpasses near the station junction. “Both of them are very narrow and would get inundated leading to congestion during rainfall,” the study noted.

226 flood-prone areas

Noting that Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre and BBMP have identified 226 flood vulnerable areas, it said the east zone of the city, which has the Bellandur lake and a host to many residential areas, often get flooded during the monsoon. Mahadevapura zone has 25 flood prone areas. The study said it is necessary to improve water holding capacity of lakes and flow of excess water to another lake downstream, to avoid inundation.

Water logging has become common in under-bridge areas as well as at the end of the flyovers/bridges wherever the slope is downward. It recommended the authorities to keep pumps near the site to drain out the water.

The BBMP has a total drain network (primary and secondary drains only) of 842 km, while details on tertiary drains are missing. A total of 735 km of drain is lined so far. A sum of ₹1060 crore was spent repairing drains in 2021.

ISEC professors and faculty members Kala S Sridhar, Krishna Raj, S Manasi, Anil Kumar Vaddiraju, Channamma Kambara, R. Manjula, and Anjali Karol Mohan (Urban Planner) conducted the study and submitted it to the Karnataka Evaluation Authority.