In India’s Tech Capital, Floods Leave Workers Riding Tractors to Work

Bengaluru, India’s Silicon Valley, joined the roster of places in South Asia inundated by torrential rains during this monsoon season.

Two days of torrential rain have flooded Bengaluru, the southern city known as India’s Silicon Valley, forcing tech workers to use boats and hitch rides on tractors to get to the office. Water supplies were disrupted and some residents struggled to evacuate as India’s tech capital joined the roster of places in South Asia inundated during this monsoon season.

More than five inches of rain had fallen on Monday, sending large parts of Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore, under water.

The deluge in Bengaluru, where dozens of multinational companies have office towers, uprooted trees, caused long power cuts and forced businesses to issue work-from-home orders. The downpours continued into Tuesday, and rain was forecast for the next four days, according to the India Meteorological Department.

At least one death has been reported, that of a 23-year-old woman who was electrocuted after her moped skidded on a waterlogged road and she tried to grab an electrical pole for support.

In parts of the city, water services were suspended after pumping stations were flooded. Basavaraj Bommai, the top elected official in Karnataka, of which Bengaluru is the capital, said affected areas would be serviced with water from bore wells or tanker trucks.