Bengaluru tech parks underwater, citizens fume over poor public infra

Employees in the tech corridors of Bengaluru were forced to find alternate routes on Tuesday as traffic came to a standstill or moved at a snail’s pace due to heavy waterlogging in the early hours of October 15. The city’s infrastructure and preparedness for rains came under scrutiny again from citizens. Many companies declared work-from-home (WFH) arrangements for their employees amid further warnings from the Indian Meteorological Department for the next two days.

The Karnataka Innovation & Technology Society-- implementing agency for Karnataka's IT-BT department also put out an advisory for the companies asking them to prioritise the safety and well-being of employees. "As transportation systems may be disrupted due to flooding, waterlogging and traffic congestion, commuting to office premises could pose risks. As a precautionary measure, it is recommended that IT, BT and private companies permit their employees to WFH on October, 16."

The Outer Ring Road (ORR), which is home to about 500 tech companies, including numerous multinational corporations, faced severe disruptions due to the heavy rains, with most of the area submerged underwater. Manyata Tech Park—a 330-acre global tech village located in Nagawara along the ORR stretch, housing over 58 companies—was also inundated with water.


Sources from the tech park reported that techies who came into work on Tuesday started leaving the offices by the afternoon to beat the traffic. “Largely, waterlogging has been cleared in the tech park, and further work is ongoing,” they said.

The junction opposite RGA Tech Park on Sarjapur Road, beneath the Carmelaram Railway overbridge, also remained flooded. Similarly, severe waterlogging was reported near the Wipro Gate on Sarjapur Road and in Mahadevapura. School buses along the route further amplified the problem, leaving citizens stuck in traffic for hours and requiring rescue with the help of a JCB.

The stretch also has several under-construction projects, including the new Metro Line, tunnel road, and other infrastructural development works by private companies, which further impacted the situation.