K.R. Circle underpass usually floods with rains, but no solution found yet

Underpass at K.R. Circle is usually waterlogged during heavy rains and the traffic police block access to the underpass by placing barricades

The underpass at K.R. Circle is usually waterlogged during heavy rains and the traffic police block access to the underpass by placing barricades, like it did on Sunday evening.

This ad-hoc arrangement is in place just a stone’s throw away from the Vidhana Soudha, the administrative nerve centre of the State. 

Bengaluru’s Chief Civic Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath, speaking to presspersons on Sunday, said that civic officials usually coordinate with the traffic police to not allow traffic in underpasses during heavy rains, and the civic body will investigate how the car went into the underpass despite it being barricaded. 

Mr. Nath also said that the drainage system in the underpass may have fallen short as there was a squall and heavy rain in a short interval of time.

“I have asked the engineer-in-chief to submit a report on the health status of the underpass by Monday afternoon. We will open it only after taking corrective measures,” he said. 

A senior civic official and a traffic police personnel said this was not the first time the underpass has been flooded.

“The underpass at K.R. Circle usually floods even with light showers. Barricading the underpass is an ad-hoc measure not to be relied upon. The drainage system in the underpass needs to be fixed,” said a senior traffic official.