While CM and Ministers Hail Govt Achievements in Hospet, Citizens in the IT Capital Row Boats Through Flooded Streets Amid Urban Chaos
Bengaluru: As torrential rains battered the Karnataka capital earlier this week, Bengaluru once again found itself submerged in misgovernance, exposing the deep cracks in the city’s infrastructure and planning. Ironically, while citizens waded through waist-deep water and boats floated down residential streets, Karnataka’s top political leadership was busy patting itself on the back at a lavish "Sadhana Samavesha" convention 320 km away in Hospet.
❝We are committed to the people. Our government has delivered on its promises,❞
— Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, addressing the crowd at Hospet, May 21
Reality Check: Back in Bengaluru, the City Sank
While the celebration of governance was in full swing in northern Karnataka, Bengaluru bled. Residents of areas like BTM Layout, HSR, Koramangala, and parts of Rajarajeshwari Nagar found their homes invaded by stormwater, furniture floating, and power lines down.
The contrast between the political celebration and public suffering couldn’t have been more stark. Helpless citizens slammed the authorities as videos of submerged cars, collapsed walls, and open manholes flooded social media.
❝Our houses are filled with water. Where are the so-called 'achievements' now?❞
— A frustrated resident of HSR Layout, speaking to News Flash
BBMP’s Flood Failure: A Symptom of Systemic Decay
The incident has once again drawn attention to BBMP's chronic failures, most notably the encroachment of lakes and stormwater drains, unscientific construction, and a shocking lack of accountability. Experts have long warned that unless urgent steps are taken, Bengaluru will drown under its own weight.
Government engineers have identified 100+ flood-prone points, but admit it is now "impossible to reverse the damage completely" due to thousands of residential encroachments.
❝We can’t demolish every house. That’s the truth. But we have to work on mitigating future risks,❞
— A senior BBMP official, requesting anonymity
Political Blame Game: Business As Usual
As expected, political parties resorted to finger-pointing. Opposition leaders slammed the ruling Congress for neglecting the city, while Congress ministers scrambled to visit select flood-hit areas, only to be met with public outrage and shouting citizens.
Following emergency meetings, the government directed officials to:
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Clear stormwater encroachments
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Fill 647 potholes in 7 days
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Initiate lake restoration drives
But citizens remain sceptical of these temporary fixes.
More Than a Civic Crisis — A Wake-Up Call for ‘Brand Bengaluru’
Bengaluru, India's tech capital and innovation nerve center, is at a tipping point. The city’s rapid, unregulated urban expansion and indifferent planning now threaten its global image.
❝Bengaluru is bursting. The solution isn’t cosmetic. We need structural reform, not more photo-ops and symbolic announcements,❞
— Urban planning expert Prof. Raghunath Rao
Beyond Bengaluru: The Need to Decompress
Experts and citizens alike are now demanding acceleration of the “Beyond Bengaluru” initiative, aiming to decentralise growth to second-tier cities like Mysuru, Hubballi, Mangaluru and Belagavi. The goal: to prevent another mega-crisis like the one Bengaluru is now enduring.
❝Let Ramanagara be renamed or let a Greater Bengaluru Authority be created — it won’t solve the crisis unless there's real planning and political will.❞
— Civic activist Dinesh Kulkarni, Namma Bengaluru Foundation
Conclusion: Fixing the Foundations, Not Just the Facade
If the state government wishes to save Brand Bengaluru, it must move beyond optics and take hard, unpopular, long-term decisions, starting with urban zoning reform, lake rejuvenation, building bylaw enforcement, and stormwater management.
Bengaluru has run out of room and excuses.
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