Bengaluru flooded again: Potholes deepen, memes take over the internet

Bengaluru sank under heavy rains once again, but as roads turned to rivers, the internet turned to memes, mocking the city's never-ending flood woes

Bengaluru sank once again under heavy rain this week, triggering flash floods, tragic deaths, and total civic chaos. But as roads turned into rivers and vehicles into vessels, social media platforms were flooded with humorous yet pointed commentary capturing the grim reality of the IT hub’s collapsing infrastructure.

 

The rains, which began over last weekend, have already claimed five lives. Two people died due to electrocution, while a woman lost her life after a compound wall collapsed on her. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for Karnataka on May 20, warning of extremely heavy rainfall in Bengaluru and other parts of the state.

 

 

Despite the seriousness of the situation, online users turned their anger into viral memes and sharp posts. One viral post on X read: “#BengaluruRains leave city panting. #Gurgaon #Gurugram and #Bengaluru, the cyber capitals of India, are an infrastructural mess and it takes a single rain to wash down mask of perfection in both cities (sic).”

 

#BengaluruRains leave city panting. #Gurgaon #Gurugram and #Bengaluru the cyber capitals of India are an infrastructural mess and it takes a single rain to wash down mask of perfection in both cities.#BengaluruRain #bengalurufloods pic.twitter.com/lRhFoMY6yV

— Sumedha Sharma (@sumedhasharma86) May 20, 2025

 

Another user said, “I pay my taxes and do not avail any of the freebies from the govt. The least I expect in return is a city which doesn't crumble at the first rains even before the monsoon sets in."

 

I pay my taxes and do not avail any of the freebies from the govt .  The least I expect in return is a city which doesn't crumble at the first rains even before the monsoon sets in. #bengalururains#Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/LilK8aaQNJ

— Anoop (@AnoopChathoth) May 20, 2025

 

A photo shared by Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Arun Vinayak showed water flooding the inside of his car. His caption read, “Building hardware in India is even harder if you have to make your office and cars and homes IP67.”  ALSO READ | Hit by bad roads, Bengaluru man sends civic body ₹50 lakh notice for trauma 

The image quickly went viral, drawing witty replies like “Ghar ghar submarine yojna” and "throw in some fish and make it a leg spa day".

 

Building hardware in India is even harder if you have to make your office and cars and homes IP67. #underwater #batteryok #engineersnotok en route to work today pic.twitter.com/PJ9D1syuFl

— Arun Vinayak (@Arun_Vinayak_S) May 19, 2025

 

The flooding extended to major landmarks such as the Kanteerava Stadium, where an upcoming international javelin competition—the Neeraj Chopra Classic—is scheduled. “This isn’t Kanteerava Stadium—it’s Sampangi Lake reclaiming its legacy. Nature always finds a way,” one user wrote, posting a video of the stadium under water.

 

This isn’t Kanteerava Stadium—it’s Sampangi Lake reclaiming its legacy. Nature always finds a way.#BengaluruRains pic.twitter.com/eG66y9fm7F

— PulseOfBengaluru (@ThreadsNarrator) May 19, 2025

 

Other flood-hit areas included HSR Layout, Silk Board Metro Station, Shanti Nagar Bus Stand, and several low-lying residential zones. Visuals circulating online showed stranded commuters, flooded homes, and overwhelmed drainage systems. 

 

The IMD forecast predicts no relief for the city, with continued rain expected over the next two days. “Partly cloudy sky with possibility of heavy rain or thunderstorm,” the department noted in its latest update. Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Belagavi, and Bagalkot are among the areas on alert.

 

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the city had recorded 104 mm of rainfall, much higher than anticipated.

 

In addition, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, speaking from the BBMP war room, said that flood mitigation efforts are ongoing. 

ALSO READ: Normal life disrupted as rains continue to pound Bengaluru, toll rises to 5

  “We had identified 210 flood-prone areas in the city. We have resolved issues in 166 of them. Work is ongoing in 24 areas, and action will soon start in the remaining 20,” he told news agency ANI.

 

Shivakumar added that 197 km of stormwater drains have been built and ₹2,000 crore allocated for drainage infrastructure. Of 132 trouble spots identified by traffic police, 82 have been fixed, and the rest are under review.

 

(With agency inputs)