A flash 10.5 cm rain in a mere 24 hours brought the city of India’s tech capital to its knees on Sunday evening, inundating houses, paralyzing traffic, and prompting rescue operations with emergency responders using dinghies and tractor-trailers. The deluge is a week ahead of the monsoon season’s commencement, and it has raised concerns regarding the city’s drainage system.

Some low-lying areas such as Manyata Tech Park, BTM Layout, HSR Layout’s Sector 5 and 6, Ejipura Junction, and Silk Board Junction got inundated. In Sai Layout, which is known for waterlogging, the water level of the floods reached chest-high, trapping residents — mostly elderly people — who had to be rescued by BBMP trolleys.

Floodwaters had entered houses in many residential areas, such as Wilson Garden, Nandagokula Layout in Nagavara, HBR Layout, Hennur, ST Bed Layout of Koramangala, and many more. Social networking sites were filled with pictures and videos of people bailing out water manually with mugs and buckets.

In a unique gesture, BBMP used inflatable boats on main intersections to aid office workers and frontline staff in navigating flooded roads. At the perennially congested Silk Board Junction, knee-deep water halted vehicular movement, creating hours-long snarls.

Passengers on a BMTC bus had to make their way out through windows when the bus got stuck in floodwaters. “The driver told us the bus couldn’t move forward, but police told him to keep going,” said a stranded passenger, Sasidhar P G. “Eventually, water entered the engine and it stopped.” Another commuter, Nandini, returning from hospital care, added, “We really struggled to get home. The authorities need to act faster in such situations.”

With more rain forecast and the monsoon yet to begin, experts warn of worsening conditions unless urgent infrastructure upgrades are undertaken.