Bengaluru: Overnight rain floods low-lying areas; parts of city waterlogged
What's the story
Bengaluru was hit by heavy rainfall overnight, stretching six hours and leading to severe waterlogging in several parts of the city.
The rainfall is expected to continue until May 22, as per the forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The Karnataka State Disaster Monitoring Cell recorded the highest rainfall at Kengeri with 132mm, closely followed by Vaderahalli with 131.5mm.
Bengaluru received an average of 105.5 mm of rain in the past 24 hours, according to the local Meteorological Centre.
Aftermath
Traffic disruptions and political criticism follow heavy rainfall
The intense downpour led to traffic disruptions in several areas of Bengaluru. The city police issued a traffic advisory for waterlogged areas in northern Bengaluru, including New Bel Road and the Nagawara bus stop.
The waterlogging also triggered political criticism, with the Janata Dal (Secular) slamming Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is also the Minister of Bengaluru Development and Town Planning, over poor infrastructure management.
Twitter Post
Visuals from the city
Good morning Bengaluru!#BengaluruRain #bengalurufloods
— Citizens Movement, East Bengaluru (@east_bengaluru) May 19, 2025
pic.twitter.com/0JQcCKTwIH
Political backlash
JD(S) criticizes government over infrastructure issues
The Janata Dal (Secular) has slammed the Congress government for its failure to address Bengaluru's infrastructure issues.
The party accused Shivakumar of being "unfit" for his role and said that, despite two years in power, the government has failed to fix potholed roads.
They also alleged that "Greater Bangalore" and "Brand Bangalore" are just names, while the real beneficiaries are Congress party members.
Further criticism
BJP MLA criticizes Congress party's handling of city's infrastructure
BJP MLA Sunil Kumar Karkala also slammed the Congress party on social media for its handling of Bengaluru's infrastructure.
"Bengaluru is drowning, and the govt is celebrating! Rainfall was predicted, but CM & DCM @DKShivakumar are busy partying in Hosapete. What's there to celebrate when you've murdered the city's infrastructure?" he wrote on social media.