BENGALURU: Torren­tial rains have swamped parts of India’s tech capital Bengaluru, killing at least one person, an official said, and exposing long-standing infrastructure failures in a city that has expanded at breakneck speed.

Rapid growth of the southern city dubbed India’s Silicon Valley has left many waterways covered over or used as dumps, leading to water stagnating every year during heavy rains.

“Storm water drains are encroached upon, the dra­ins are shallow and small, and they are filled with silt,” chief minister of Karna­taka state Siddaram­aiah said. “Instructions have been given to the municipal corporation multiple times to clear them, and work is still ongoing,” he added.

Siddaramaiah said it was a “matter of sorrow that a woman lost her life” in Bengaluru, the state capital which is home to more than 10 million people. The Times of India newspaper reported on Tuesday at least three people had died. India is hit by torrential rains and flash floods each year during the monsoon season, and experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity.

Heatwave

Nearly 60pc of Indian districts, home to three-quarters of the population, face a “high to very high” risk from extreme heat, with rising night-time temperatures and humidity compounding the health impact, a study has found.

The report, published on Tuesday by the New Delhi-based Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) think tank, analysed climate, health, and infrastructure data to calculate a heat-risk score.

“About 57pc of Indian dist­ricts, home to 76pc of India’s total population, are currently at high to very high heat risk,” the study found, with the heat risk in the capital New Delhi among the highest.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2025