Less than a week after inauguration by PM Modi, Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway flooded after rains
18-Mar-2023
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Less than a week after it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway witnessed waterlogging on Saturday morning after slight overnight rain, leading to traffic snarls. The flooding near an underpass near Sangabasavana Doddi between Ramanagara and Bidadi led to chaos on Saturday as vehicles were spotted stuck in traffic jams. “We had left space for drains but some of the villagers blocked the drains with mud which resulted in flooding. We are clearing it and the road will be open as usual,” National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) project director B T Sridhar told The Indian Express.Incidentally, last August, the same stretch was flooded following heavy rainfall. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, who had visited the road in January this year, had commented on the flooding and said that a technical team was looking into the issue. “We will ensure that it does not repeat. A road safety audit is also being carried out to prevent road accidents on the stretch,” he had said.On March 12, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the 118-km Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway project. The expressway reduces the travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru from around three hours to about 75 minutes, according to officials.Meanwhile, several areas in Bengaluru were plunged into darkness for four-five hours on Friday after the city recorded 5.3 mm of rain.“There were technical glitches in the Muss feeder in Jayadeva, Attur-Yelahanka and Magadi Road due to heavy wind and rainfall. This resulted in electricity disruption in several areas. We worked the entire night to resolve the issue. Transformers were repaired. The situation is normal now,” a Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited official said.The Rs 8,480 crore project involves six-laning of the Bengaluru-Nidaghatta-Mysuru section of NH-275. The NHAI had started collecting toll on Tuesday and political parties, including Janata Dal (Secular), had staged protests over tolls being collected without road works being completed.
