'Will tell my child I used to cross a river to work': Downpour leaves Bengaluru residents upset, IMD sees more rain this week

Bengaluru woke up to waterlogged streets and traffic jams after heavy rain drenched the city on Monday. Upset citizens took to social media to voice their grievances, with one user saying: “When taxes of Bengaluru that don’t vote are distributed amongst those who vote as freebies, this will be the result! No single drain was maintained in the last 16 months. We are left to God’s mercy!” 

The post from @east_bengaluru on X echoed the frustrations of many who feel the city's infrastructure has been neglected.

The downpour turned several roads into rivers, leaving residents stranded and late for work. “Will tell my child that I used to cross a river to go to work. Who am I kidding though? 25 years later, infra will remain the same,” another user lamented.

Balagere Road, in particular, became the poster child for the day’s chaos, with social media flooded with images of what resembled a winding river more than a city street. Commuters shared their horror stories of being stuck for hours. X user @parmod1979 recounted how it took him two hours just to drop his children at school, while Sridhar Swaminathan reported being trapped in a bus for three hours, noting that elderly passengers found the situation especially difficult.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded 7 cm of rainfall by early morning and warned that this was just the beginning. 

The forecast predicts moderate rain and thundershowers across Bengaluru and neighboring districts like Mysuru, Mandya, and Kolar throughout the week. While light rain is expected to continue until Thursday, heavier downpours are anticipated on Friday and Saturday, ensuring that the city’s residents won’t be drying out anytime soon.

As Bengaluru braces for more rain, the IMD has also indicated that the city's temperature will fluctuate between 21 and 30 degrees Celsius, with high humidity levels adding to the discomfort. Winds of up to 66 km/h are expected to sweep through the city, making the weather feel even more tumultuous.

Sunrise may offer a brief respite at 6:07 AM, with sunset at 6:42 PM, but the overall forecast remains bleak. Districts such as Ramanagara and Chamarajanagar are likely to face the worst of the weather, with heavy rain and thundershowers predicted. Meanwhile, the coastal regions of Karnataka will also experience light to moderate rainfall, contributing to a generally wet and unsettled week ahead.

In contrast to the grim weather, there’s a silver lining: Bengaluru's air quality remains within acceptable limits. The Air Quality Index (AQI) stands at 35, considered good, with only a few localized hotspots exceeding the World Health Organization's guidelines.