Inundation of multiple underpasses on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway throws traffic out of gear

Motorists suffered a harrowing time after being stuck for hours on the Bengaluru-Mysuru national highway, flooded for the second time in less than three days, on Monday morning.

Many underpasses located on the Mysuru-Bengaluru highway were inundated. At Sangabasavana Doddi, an underpass, vehicles were submerged and stuck for hours.

People stranded inside a bus were rescued by the youth of nearby villagers. Vehicles were pulled out using cranes.

Abhishek, a driver of the bus ferrying employees of Bosch, said: “There were around 30 employees in the bus. We were stuck for hours. At last cranes were deployed to shift all the vehicles. Alternative arrangements were made for the employees to reach their destinations in Ramanagaram”.

People push a car stuck on the flooded Bengaluru-Mysuru highway on Monday. (Source: PTI)

One car owner said: “In the early morning hours we did not realize that the vehicle could be stuck. The vehicle broke down and we had to move out. With the help of the crane, the vehicle was shifted to the other end of the road”.

Superintendent of Police K. Santhosh Babu said: “Underpasses at several locations such as Kaniminike, Basavanapura, Byrapatna and others were flooded. We had instructed motorists to use alternative roads to reach Bengaluru or Mysuru. Those who had ventured out using the bypass road got stuck because of the inundation of the underpass”.

Earlier, the administration had asked motorists planning to travel to Mysuru to use NICE Road and reach Mandya via Kunigal, and while returning reach Kanakapura Road via Malavalli to reach Bengaluru or use Kunigal route.

A few days ago, the NHAI partially opened the bypass road at Bidadi and Ramanagaram to Channapatna stretch.

Motorists allege that inundation of underpasses is a sign of faulty work by the NHAI and absence of a good drainage system.

Many of the underpasses are located too close to natural ponds, resulting in water only receding after hours.

Flooding of the Channapatna railway station resulted in delay in operation of two trains. Officials of the South Western Railway (SWR) said that the trains were delayed for 20 minutes.