Floods cripple Indian tech hub Bengaluru

Floods blamed on shoddy infrastructure crippled Indian IT hub Bengaluru on Monday, with employees in the huge tech sector told to work from home and dozens of areas reportedly left without drinking water.

The southern metropolis of around 8.5 million people boomed in the 1990s, with its myriad outsourcing and software companies now employing millions in the "back office of the world".

But the city's companies have complained that infrastructure development has not kept up, with perennial traffic jams and unplanned construction on the dried-up beds of lakes leading to frequent flooding even after moderate rainfall.

A meagre 2 km away from the tech centre of ORR Bangalore this is the scene this morning. A repeat of what we saw last week! I have never seen the Bangalore infra in so bad shape in last 20 years! Location : Balagere road#bangalorerain #BBMP @CMofKarnataka @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/43iTKKOJfD

— Sayan Chatterjee (@the_critique_of) September 5, 2022

On Monday large parts of the city were underwater, with authorities deploying rubber dinghies to ferry people around and footage on social media showing tractors being used to transport travellers from the airport.

The umbrella group for the IT sector, the Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA), advised employees to work from home while many schools and colleges were shut.

The supply of drinking water to more than 50 areas of the city was halted for two days after a pumping station was inundated, media reports said, as more rain was forecast.

Bangalore rains hit hard on Sunday night!!#bangalorerains #bangaloretraffic #bellandur #bellandurbridge pic.twitter.com/vVdxRER9yY

— nsrivastava.eth (@nitinkr1991) September 5, 2022

"Honestly, the traffic situation in Bengaluru is always bad but this is now another level," said one back-office employer for food delivery company Swiggy, requesting to stay anonymous.

"It's worse than ever before because of how many people have rushed back to the city after Covid. The infrastructure can't take the strain," he told AFP.