Bengaluru waterlogging returned at the Panathur Railway Underbridge on Friday evening as rain flooded the passage, partially submerged four-wheelers and stranded commuters in east Bengaluru. Traffic built up on the underbridge approaches and nearby roads, reviving long-standing concerns about drainage capacity and road design in one of the city’s fastest-growing corridors.
The India Meteorological Department recorded 10.5 mm of rainfall at Bengaluru HAL airport and 8.8 mm at Kempegowda International Airport between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. on October 16. Bengaluru city recorded 1.2 mm during the same period. The rain also brought relief from the recent heat, with the minimum temperature falling to 21.4 degrees Celsius.
The flooding was reported at the Panathur Railway Underbridge, a key route for commuters travelling between the Varthur-Gunjur Road and the Outer Ring Road. The stretch connects Gunjur and Varthur to the ORR and carries daily traffic from east Bengaluru’s residential and employment districts. Water accumulation at the underbridge disrupted movement for several hours, according to residents cited in the report.
Madhu M.S., a resident, said the underbridge had flooded repeatedly for years. He attributed the recurring disruption to the road gradient and drainage constraints around the railway underbridge, which have allowed flooding and blockages to persist during rain.
The incident again places attention on the infrastructure gap between Bengaluru’s expanding urban development and the capacity of its local roads and drainage systems. At Panathur, the problem is not limited to rainfall intensity: the underbridge’s low-lying alignment and constrained drainage affect how quickly water can be removed from the carriageway. The recurring nature of the flooding has made the route a continuing concern for residents and daily commuters.
Latha Ashok, another resident, said resident welfare associations had repeatedly approached the local MLA’s office but had not received satisfactory clarity on corrective measures or timelines. The report did not specify a confirmed project, completion date or implementing agency for a permanent solution at the underbridge.
Rain-related congestion was also reported on the road from Thubarahalli towards Marathahalli, as well as around Chamarajapet, Seshadripuram and M.G. Road in Central Bengaluru. These disruptions show how intense or persistent rainfall can affect traffic across multiple parts of the city, even when recorded rainfall totals vary between monitoring locations.
The IMD has forecast very likely light to moderate rainfall in parts of Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural, along with parts of south interior Karnataka, until October 22. The forecast means that the Panathur underbridge and other vulnerable road sections are likely to remain under scrutiny as further rain tests the city’s drainage and traffic-management systems.
