BANGALORE: A stormwater drain breached its embankment and swirling waters flooded a college in Electronics City in the early hours of Friday, marooning hundreds of students.
Fire and emergency services swung into action and rescued terrified students in an operation that extended late into the afternoon.
The drain breached at 2.45 am, causing the water to rush towards the seven-storey college and hostel building, referred to as the PESIT South Campus. Some labourers who noticed the flooding called the fire and emergency services personnel, who rushed to the spot with five boats and fire tenders.
Giant Canal
According to a rescue official, the PES School of Engineering building is located right next to the Rajakaluve, a giant drain through which rain water flows to the lake. He alleged the low-lying college had encroached the land. The embankment collapsed because of heavy rain in the night. “Students on the ground floor had climbed to the second floor fearing for their lives,” the official said.
Emergency services personnel and labourers helped 200 students come out in the night. By 5.30 am, the water had risen to about five feet and two-wheelers and cars in the premises were submerged. Inside, 280 students were trapped.
“We brought 10 students in each boat and shifted them to safety. The students and our staff felt choked as the water was stinking,” he said. The rescuers also noticed snakes in the swirling waters. All 480 students had been moved to safety by Friday afternoon.
“The place is not safe for students. The area comes under the Konappana Agrahara panchayat, and no revenue official has yet visited the spot,” an eyewitness said. A senior police officer said they had not registered a case of negligence against the management as no one had lodged a complaint.
Some students rushed to describe their ordeal to the media, but later fell silent, as college authorities got into damage-control mode.
A student, seeking anonymity, said the incident had been terrifying. “Drainage water swamped the ground floor and submerged our vehicles,” he told Express.
The rescuers waited for daybreak before bringing the students to safety. “We decided it was unsafe in the dark to ferry them,” an officer said.
College’s Take
Ajoy Kumar, chief operations officer of PES Institutions, told Express all hostellers had been evacuated and were now in the main PES University campus in Hosakerehalli.
“The stormwater drain is choked because of accumulated garbage. I admit it is our fault that we did not clear the garbage. The water we see is from the Electronics City area, where drainages are blocked with garbage,” he said.
The water will be cleared over the weekend, before classes resume on Monday, he said. Asked about the allegation that the college had encroached the stormwater drain, he said: “I don’t know.”