Of course we all know what happens on Bangalore roads when it rains. But I was the least prepared for the events to unfold that night. After dinner with friends at Indiranagar I set off towards Koramangala. It had been raining for around an hour but I didn’t really realize how bad things were outside.
The Intermediate Ring Road had gotten fully water logged. Worse still the water on one side was sloshing over like huge ocean waves into the other side (the side I was on!). As a result, there were cars trying to move through higher than knee deep water on the same side of the road in two different directions. In Bangalore, traffic is disastrous enough even on different sides of the road. So you can imagine the scenario.
In front of me, stretched an endless stream of vehicles all trying to negotiate the high waters and not having much luck. Some vehicles had gotten stuck adding to the woes of those behind.
Suddenly, I felt a gushing sounds inside my car and realize that water had begun to enter the vehicle. I decided that panicking would not be the right thing and weigh my options. Going ahead and getting stuck in the water with no way out of the car. Or jumping out of the car and letting it go down instead. Smartly, I decided on the latter.
I tried and park the car somewhere on the side though there was considerable water there. Some chaiwallas were having a great time laughing at what was happening around. What did they care? I looked with slight dismay as the car started getting submerged with the water rising every minute.
A guy who was at the chai shop helpfully pointed out a lane just behind me and suggested I should try getting back into the car and reversing into it. A smart suggestion in hindsight. I dove back into the car, now with water covering the base of the car, and said a small prayer. The car started and I reversed quickly into the lane. Thankfully, there wasn’t any vehicle immediately behind me.
I found higher ground and decided to stay put for a while. This was a dead end lane and there was really no way out. It was past midnight now. I looked out into the main road : cars still honking, and utter chaos as people were getting stuck everywhere. I decided that I didn’t want to get back there in a hurry.
Just inside a lane, I found a few service apartments and one of them let me use their rest room to freshen up (I had also gotten drenched after all my adventures). A friend called suggesting I try and reach her place in Koramangala. Another friend gave me his colleague’s number — she happened to live across the road (but I couldn’t even think about crossing the road!).
There was absolutely no way to get out. Finally at around 1 am I decided to stay put and got myself checked into the Golf Inn which looked like a decent place. From my window I could get a glimpse of the chaos that still ensued outside.
At around 6 am in the morning, I checked out and finally drove home. My Zen didn’t let me down and actually started even after the night’s lashing. The ring road bore a rather worn out look with garbage scattered everywhere.
It was relief to finally get home!
After hearing of my rainy night adventure, a well meaning friend (instead of rescuing me from my night stranded out!), said I could avoid what happened by getting this instead.
An adventure indeed, the good part is, it a good life experience. Glad you are safe :)
Posted by Venky Krishnamoorthy | June 14, 2009, 10:58 pmUnbelievable! This is Bangalore? I hope the government is taking notes there and doing something.
Posted by Prasoon | June 15, 2009, 3:06 amGreat to know you was safe. All’s well that ends well :-)
At 10:30 around I started in the reverse direction, from Koramangala to Indiranagar. I *knew* the intermediate ring road would be completely waterlogged (which was confirmed by a friend left earlier), so went around using ORR and Marathalli. It took time but there was no risk of getting stuck. 45 mins flat I was home.
Try ORR on next flooding day.
Posted by Kousik | June 15, 2009, 10:41 amAll Indian cities are totally unprepared for some of the very obvious and repetitive things like rains.
Get an SUV– Hummer may be– you can hop over other vehicles and reach home… :)
Posted by Shrinidhi Hande | June 15, 2009, 11:07 amI have decided to never drive if i sense rain
I do not want to be washed away and never be found again
Posted by arvind | June 15, 2009, 1:09 pm@ venky: yes, was a good experience! but one that only reflects the poor state of the city’s drainage system.
@ prasoon: yes, this is bangalore!
@ kousik: that was a smart thing to do. i hadn’t been caught in the rain earlier and didn’t have a clue about the ring road. now i know!
@ srinidhi: true! i don’t think any city is really well prepared when it comes to rains. and this when we know it happens year on year, without fail!
@ arvind: that’s a good philosophy!
Posted by Anita | June 15, 2009, 1:31 pmOh No. Sounds bad., good to be in chennai as it never rains here :(
Posted by Vijay Ganesh | June 15, 2009, 7:30 pmAmazing video, that fellow almost drowned and got trapped inside the vehicle, or so I thought.
I was in a car too that night, and got home by twelve thirty, through the swimming pools.
Posted by Grasshopper | June 16, 2009, 10:56 amI lived in bangalore and thought worst of bangalore rain but this is beyond my experience & imagine. lucky me.;)
if & when i relocate i should consider buying that vehicle..
Posted by Yuva | June 16, 2009, 3:12 pmAwww it is news. Somehow thought it rains as sparsely in Bangalore, as it does in Hyd. Chalo you gave me one more point to fend back when my B’lorean friends give me that Hyd-sux thing next. :)
Posted by Nidarshana | June 18, 2009, 10:04 amIt was lucky that you were in a part of town where there was a hotel/inn nearby.
Posted by Roshan | June 21, 2009, 10:44 amThis reminds me of Mumbai. We tend to stay overnight at our offices — having learnt this is the best option — the hard way. Glad you found a decent hotel to check into and that all is well.
Best
Lubna
Posted by Lubna | June 21, 2009, 1:45 pmThis sounds like — Mumbai Rains.… though it hasn’t started raining here still this time around.
Posted by Nandish | June 22, 2009, 11:53 pm@ Vijay: it never rains in chennai? gosh!
@ Grasshopper: you too? but at least you got home!
@ Yuva: yeah, it looks like it will survive the bangalore rains :-)
@ Nidarshana: when it rains, it pours! and with the city’s drainage system, it takes about 20 minutes exactly (sometimes lesser) for all the low lying areas to get flooded!
@ Roshan: i know! that lane was swarming with inns :-)
@ Lubna: ah yes, I’ve seen similar days in Mumbai but stayed back in the office. played dumb charades in the office the whole night!!
@ Nandish: yeah, hope it doesn’t rain like this in mumbai. the floods last time around were pretty bad.
Posted by anita | June 23, 2009, 10:17 amhaha — yes, the travails of the monsoon in this country. sometimes even when people relate stories of the day bombay was flooded — it sounds adventorous. but i guess being caught must be miserable! over here its still the light drizzle before the storm and is still enjoyable!
Posted by Ms.N | June 23, 2009, 10:57 amHay Anita, I really enjoyed reading this piece, rather it reminded me of a rained our night that i witnessed though not exactly like urs but ws quite a night.
NIce writing!
Posted by Himani | April 1, 2011, 3:38 pm