Bengaluru woes: Why India’s tech hub, 3,000 feet above sea level, floods every time it rains

Even the mildest spell of rain can flood the city's roads and bring traffic to a nosebleed. It's the same story every year, and little has been done to change things for the better

For cricket fans, Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy stadium is a rare bright spot during rains. Equipped with a SubAir system — a subsurface aeration and vacuum drainage system powered by a 200-horsepower motor — it can drain 10,000 litres of water per minute, making the pitch playable within 15–20 minutes after heavy rain.

But Bengaluru city itself, perched about 3,000 feet above sea level and famed for its pleasant climate, repeatedly struggles with flooding whenever it rains. Unlike the Netherlands, where nearly 26 percent of the land lies below sea level yet floods are rare thanks to advanced coastal defences and infrastructure, Bengaluru floods regularly — despite its elevation.

Also, read: ‘Brand Bengaluru’ battered after rain: DK Shivakumar says 'issues we face today are not new'

Experts attribute this to decades of unplanned development spurred by the IT boom of the 1990s. Lakes were filled in and converted into tech parks, bus stations, stadiums, roads, and residential layouts. Now, nature is reclaiming these spaces through flooding.

While Bengaluru thrives as a global digital hub with startups and venture capitalists, its physical infrastructure remains neglected, regardless of which political party—Congress, BJP, or JD(S)—has governed the city.

The annual flooding cycle

Every time dark clouds gather, Bengaluru’s residents brace for chaos: traffic gridlocks, waterlogging, fallen trees, submerged vehicles, power outages, and even building collapses. Rescue boats are a common sight in low-lying areas. Each year before monsoon, the civic body assures the city is prepared, but just a few rain spells reveal the cracks. Politicians and officials make their rounds in knee-deep water, issue promises and blame games, only for the cycle to repeat the following year.

Bengaluru is divided into three main natural valley systems: Hebbal (northern Bengaluru), Koramangala–Challaghatta (central and south-eastern parts), and Vrishabhavathi (south-western Bengaluru). Construction and encroachment over these valleys have destroyed natural drainage.

Of the 860 km stormwater drainage network, less than 60 percent has retaining walls, and only about half of the identified encroachments have been removed. Poor desilting, white-topped roads, and stalled proposals like sluice gates and underground retention tanks worsen flooding.

BBMP Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said: “Karnataka government allocated Rs 2,000 crore during 2024-2025 to BBMP under the ‘Karnataka Water Security and Disaster Resilience Initiative.’ We will upgrade 173.9 km of stormwater drains with RCC walls, adopt scientific methods via Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre  (KSNDMC), clear encroachments, and link lakes through feeder drains for flood mitigation.”

Governance and design failures

“Bengaluru sits 3,000 feet above sea level — it shouldn’t flood like this. The issue isn’t geography but poor city design and governance,” says MG Devasahayam, retired IAS officer. “The city is built around money, not people. Look at the tunnel project — massive investments but little public benefit.”

Devasahayam points to governance gaps: “Bengaluru development minister isn’t elected to manage city and talks of a new authority (Greater Bengaluru Authority) under the Chief Minister is just old wine in new bottles. We need an elected city government—a strong mayor, empowered corporators, and control over water, power, and transport. Bengaluru’s population exceeds many countries, yet it has no real city government.”

Concrete jungle and climate change

According to civic activist V Ravichandar, flooding is no longer just a result of occasional heavy rain but also erratic weather patterns caused by climate change. “And this is just pre-monsoon. If this is what we’re seeing now, imagine the full monsoon.”

He points to a flawed development model: “We’ve over-concretised Bengaluru, leaving no space for water to percolate. Roads, stormwater drains, parks—everything is paved over. Residency Road, for example, has a well-maintained asphalt surface that is being dug up to lay concrete—not out of necessity, but simply because of budget availability.”

“Low-lying areas are built upon, and roads are sometimes lower than drains or surrounding buildings, forcing water into homes and businesses,” Ravichandar adds. “Our drainage was designed for 75 mm of rainfall per hour, but now we see 120–130 mm per hour, overwhelming the system. Maintenance is poor — drains clogged with silt and plastic, and cleaning is irregular.”

His prescription: “We must retrofit drains, clear encroachments on water channels, and transition Bengaluru into a ‘sponge city’ that absorbs water. Preparing flood-prone zones with drainage, rescue plans, and restoration is equally critical. Without this, flooding will persist.”

Also, read: That sinking feeling again: Bengaluru crumbles in rain, city without elected council for over 4 years

Urban planning experts weigh in

Mark Selvaraj, a Chennai-based urban planner, explains: “Bengaluru floods due to over-urbanisation, not terrain. Around 60 percent of the city is private land draining into public systems that can’t cope. Concrete everywhere means no rainwater retention.” . He calls for solutions like recharge wells, dry and wet retention systems, and redesigned parks to store water. “Unless civic body manage runoff onsite and water storage, flooding will worsen.”

Rajkumar Dugar, convenor of Citizens for Citizens (C4C), urges: “Bengaluru must become a sponge city to slow rainwater and recharge groundwater — critical since we pump water from 100 km away. Chennai’s success with soak pits and restored water bodies can be a model.”

Governance gaps and lack of elected representation

Bengaluru’s civic body has evolved over the years — from the Bangalore City Corporation, which served a population of 7.5 lakh in 1949, to the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (39 lakh in 1989), then the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (80 lakh in 2007), and now the Greater Bengaluru Authority, which serves 1.4 crore people. Despite billions spent, flooding recurs in many areas, including Manyata Tech Park, Horamavu, Sarjapur Road, Yelahanka, and Koramangala.

The city has been without an elected council since 2020. A senior bureaucrat says: “Not having elected ward corporators is a huge setback. Officials come and go, but corporators know their localities and can act quickly on flooding or other issues.”

Focus on basics needed to protect Bengaluru’s brand

SM Krishna, Karnataka’s Chief Minister from 1999 to 2004, credited with kickstarting Bengaluru’s IT rise, focused on governance reforms through initiatives like the Bangalore Agenda Task Force. A senior official says: “Krishna listened to people and had efficient bureaucrats. Today, there’s a shortage of senior officers. The government focuses on big-ticket projects amid a cash crunch when they should ideally prioritise flood prevention and completing delayed projects.”

In 2023, deputy CM and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar said he received 70,000 citizen suggestions on seven issues to enhance Brand Bengaluru but later shifted focus to big infrastructure projects like tunnels, double-decker flyovers and elevated corridors.

Shivakumar said the government had identified 210 flood-prone areas, fixing issues in 166 of them, building 197 km of stormwater drains, and addressing flooding at 82 of 132 hotspots, spending Rs 2,000 crore.

Also, read: 'Brand Bengaluru' caught between DK Shivakumar’s vanity projects and city's crumbling infra