Bengaluru, the city of startups and innovation, now stands at the crossroads of opportunity and ecological fragility. To thrive, it must lead not just in technology, but in sustainability.
Dr. Shiba Shankar Pattayat, Dr. Anirban Kundu, and Dr. Tista Kundu
Bengaluru city is famously known as the Silicon Valley of India and for creating the new startups. This city is not only the epicentre of growth of India’s modern service sector, especially the IT and IT-enabled services, but also, the city itself contributes 38 per cent to Karnataka’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). As a result, it thrives the ecosystem for startups and a modern lifestyle. Employment elasticity has made it a hub for professionals. However, this rapid unplanned urbanisation and economic expansion come with a hidden cost. The rising hidden cost pushed Bengaluru to the edge by extreme and erratic water-related challenges.
The city of Bengaluru has been facing extreme problems over the past two to three years due to water scarcity during the summer season and overflow of water during the monsoon. This dual crisis due to water raises a very fundamental question: Is nature taking some revenge on the people of Bengaluru by water depletion in summer and overflow of water in the rainy season?
The water crisis in Bengaluru city during summer is no longer a rare event. Now, the water crisis is a normal situation for Bengaluru people. Overpopulation, unplanned urbanisation, and overutilisation of groundwater for construction work are the prime causes of depletion of the natural water level. But the irony is that the same city is transformed into a lake during monsoons from the dry land during summer. It is evident that the rainfall rose to 130 mm in just 12 hours on the 18th and 19th May 2025 after being warned by IMD. The heavy rainfall turns roads into rivers and localities into islands and lakes. As a result, the city faced many challenges such as
Disruption to Commuting and Access to Essentials:
The most instantaneous impact of the overflow of water is on public mobility. Roads in very well-known areas such as Koramangala, Whitefield, and HSR Layout were swamped. It also jailed people in their own houses without any handcuffs because of the disruption of Public transportation, including BMTC buses and app-based taxi services like OLA, UBER and Namma Yatri. It makes it very much impossible for workers and students to reach offices and schools. Furthermore, many people were cut off from accessing daily essentials such as groceries, medicines, and healthcare facilities.
Emergence of Urban Lakes:
The overflow of rain water and poor drainage system in urban areas have turned into temporary lakes in several parts of the city. Lower-income households who are staying on the lower side of Bengaluru city faced more challenges as compared to the higher-income group. It is also observed that motorbikes and cars were floating like a boat on water, which uncovered the poor drainage infrastructure system and lack of preparedness for the uncertain climate change.
Economic and Business Setbacks:
Furthermore, urban flooding also had a negative impact on the city. The economic damage goes far beyond flooded homes. It also sank infrastructure like Tech Parks, corporate offices, malls and many lives. As a consequence, businessmen face losses be cause of the rising cost of repairing infrastructure and the loss of productivity. Traffic congestion, a chronic issue in Bengaluru, was amplified with what could have been an hour commute stretching to over three hours in some areas. This not only disrupts the work-life balance of employees but also directly affects business outputs.
Infrastructure and Public Services Under Stress:
The consequences of urban flooding have been tragic in nature. According to media reports, at least three people lost their lives, more than 500 houses were flooded (The Times of India), with 100 houses alone in Kengeri (Deccan Herald), and 50 vehicles damaged (Indian Express). Public healthcare services were severely affected, as flooded roads delayed emergency responses. In the short run, this increases mental stress and physical health risks, while in the long term, stagnant water fosters a breeding ground for diseases such as dengue, malaria, and cholera.
Initiatives taken so far:
The Bruhat Bengaluru MahanagaraPalike (BBMP) has taken an important move to address the water scarcity problem in Bengaluru by proposing a cutting-edge rainwater harvesting system. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, proposed the “Urban flood model for Bangalore”, considering Bangalore’s urbanisation, low-lying districts, and other factors. The project also harvests and stores flood water to raise city groundwater levels and regenerate lakes to meet the water issue. The Centre for Cauvery River Basin Management and Studies (cCauvery) was founded in 2024 to address the pressing need for the sustainable management of the Cauvery River basin, a major lifeline in the southern part of India.
A Multi-Pronged Path to Resilience and instruments to resolve the issue:
Solving these crises, nevertheless, demands more than temporary relief measures. While nature’s fury may seem inevitable, much of Bengaluru’s vulnerability is man-made. The city requires urgent, comprehensive, and sustainable urban water management strategies.
The solution for this kind of natural calamity is very difficult. However, the city calls for comprehensive and sustainable solutions to address the city’s water management challenges. A multifaceted approach, combining infrastructural upgradation, policy enforcement, and community engagement, is essential to mitigate future flood risks. If we harvest rainwater during monsoons, it may lead to a rise in the groundwater level, which may help people to overcome the problem of the water crisis during summer.
In conclusion, Bengaluru is a city of opportunities but also of increasing ecological fragility. To continue as India’s startup and innovation hub, it must become a model of climate resilience and sustainable urban planning. A city that leads in technology must also lead in sustainability. The time to act is now before the next monsoon arrives with greater vengeance.
(The authors are Assistant Professors in the Department of Economics at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Yeswanthpur Campus, Bangalore.)
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