Bengaluru rain: 150-m wall collapses after drain blocked, triggers flooding

Heavy rain in Bengaluru on Wednesday caused severe flooding at Provident Harmony, a residential complex near Sampigehalli. A 150-meter section of the compound wall collapsed under the weight of stagnant stormwater that had nowhere else to go. The residents awoke to find their vehicles submerged in floodwater. The 7.14-acre complex, comprising 15 nine-storey towers with 548 units, had its children’s play area, sewage treatment plant, and borewells submerged.

Several cars were damaged. Critical infrastructure within the complex was also affected, with losses estimated in the crores of rupees. It was revealed that a stormwater drain, intended to carry water to Sampigehalli lake, was obstructed by quarry debris from a private land behind the complex. The trust responsible for the land disposed of the debris into the drain, causing the water flow to be blocked.

This led to the pressure breaching the boundary wall, resulting in the flooding. The issue is part of a larger stormwater drainage connectivity problem, and unless the obstruction is cleared, further flooding is expected during heavy rain. Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda addressed the situation, instructing officials to take precautionary measures to prevent similar incidents.