Bengaluru
Moderate rainfall in the Mahadevpur zone of Bengaluru last Wednesday evening led to significant traffic congestion on the city’s Outer Ring Road (ORR) and Arterial Ring Road (ARR). The surge in traffic was attributed to the long weekend holiday, heightened Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, and a larger number of people traveling into the city. Heavy traffic persisted between 4 pm and 8 pm, prompting the Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) to advise member companies to encourage their employees to avoid leaving the office early and wait for the traffic situation to improve. Efforts to alleviate the situation were undertaken by Bellandur and HAL traffic police, who conducted operations to clear water-logged areas at key junctions, including Kroma Road, Kadubisanahalli, and the Sakra Hospital Junction. The rainfall, which lasted for approximately 40 minutes on Wednesday afternoon, had resulted in water accumulation at various locations. The crowds moved slowly due to the Eid Milad holiday, combined with the ongoing Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations and the extended weekend. A senior traffic police officer from the Bellandur traffic police station explained that traffic congestion began around 4 pm and gradually eased by 8 pm. Jagadish Reddy of Varthur Rising expressed that the situation during the monsoon season could have been improved if the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had addressed encroachments on the Panathur-Kroma road. He pointed out that a bottleneck, near Chroma Road, often contributed to traffic slowdowns during peak hours.
