Bengaluru
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Heavy overnight rain has once again thrown life out of gear in Bengaluru, bringing the Panathur underpass to a standstill, with the Panathur Railway Under Bridge (RUB) waterlogged and traffic disrupted on both sides.
For residents of Panathur and several east Bengaluru neighbourhoods, the flooding is a frustrating reminder of the infrastructure gaps they have been asking the government to address for years. The expanded Panathur railway underpass was expected to ease daily commuting and provide relief from the area’s traffic problems.
Heavy overnight rain flooded Bengaluru’s Panathur Railway Under Bridge (RUB), disrupting traffic and exposing infrastructure gaps residents have highlighted for years. The waterlogging questions the effectiveness of recent upgrades, particularly concerning drainage and the pace of development versus infrastructure planning.
Instead, the latest rain has exposed a basic gap in the upgrade. What good is an expanded underpass if commuters are still unable to use it during heavy rain?
For residents of Panathur, Balagere, Gunjur, Varthur and surrounding areas, the RUB is a crucial link to the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and Bengaluru’s major employment hubs. Thousands use the corridor every day to reach offices, schools, hospitals, shops and other parts of the city.
With few alternative routes, any disruption at the underpass quickly affects the surrounding roads. Cars, two wheelers, office cabs, school buses, public transport vehicles and delivery riders are forced to slow down or take longer routes, adding to congestion.
The pressure on the corridor has grown sharply as apartment complexes have mushroomed across Panathur, Balagere and Gunjur. The number of residents, office commuters, school buses and vehicles has increased, while the road network has struggled to keep pace with the area’s growth.
The flooding has also raised a larger question about whether the upgrade focused mainly on vehicle movement without addressing the supporting infrastructure needed to make the corridor function during heavy rain.
An underpass cannot function properly without adequate drainage. The waterlogging at the Panathur RUB has brought this issue back into focus, with residents questioning whether enough has been done to prevent rainwater from accumulating at the lowest point of the road.
The problem is not limited to the underpass. Parts of the corridor still have incomplete side drain work, while open roadside drains are visible in some stretches. Footpaths are also missing along portions of the road, forcing pedestrians to share space with moving traffic.
Residents question years of work
The latest flooding has revived a question that has been raised by commuters for years: why does waterlogging continue despite repeated road and underpass improvement work?
One user, who said they had lived near the stretch since 2021, pointed out that the underpass had been widened and the S Cross improved over the years, but waterlogging remained. The user questioned why the problem was not addressed while the infrastructure was being upgraded.
Other users focused on the engineering challenge. They pointed out that the underpass is in a low lying area and argued that widening the road alone may not solve the flooding. Suggestions included installing pumps to remove accumulated water and creating a proper drainage connection to carry water away from the lowest point.
For some commuters, the issue is also a consequence of rapid urbanisation. One commenter said complaints about narrow roads, traffic and waterlogging had existed for five to 10 years, while the number of buildings, residents and vehicles had continued to grow. The argument was that apartment construction had moved faster than supporting infrastructure such as roads, drainage and public transport.
The discussion also highlighted the area’s dependence on a limited road network. One user described Panathur as being almost cut off from the ORR during disruptions, pointing to the dependence of thousands of families on the available connecting roads.
Some users went beyond Panathur and questioned Bengaluru’s wider civic infrastructure, comparing the city’s roads, drainage and public services with those in other Indian cities and countries. Others argued that the issue should not simply be viewed through the lens of taxes, but through how infrastructure projects are planned, executed and maintained.
