BENGALURU: The heavy downpour through Monday night left a trail of misery in the low-lying parts of Bengaluru, leading to storm water drains and lakes swelling up with rainwater, and flooding across Mahadevapura zone.The worst had come true again for apartments and villas of IT City in this region. Villas of Rainbow Drive Layout were flooded for the second time in less than four months. Fire and Emergency personnel ferried residents to safety on tractors and boats.
Anugraha Layout was also flooded, with about 50 sheds of pourakarmikas being worst-hit in Mahadevapura. The rain also led to a traffic gridlock along the ORR. BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath told TNIE that the problem has been inherited since the time of the City Municipal Corporation (CMC), with storm water drains in many areas here being encroached.
“The flooding of Marathahalli Outer Ring Road, near EcoSpace in Bellandur, was a result of encroachment of a major storm water drain. They have now realised and agreed to release some land, and requested the Palike to build a water diversion channel. We will have to put boxes and connect the drains,” said Girinath.
Special Commissioner, Mahadevapura zone, Dr Trilok Chandra said that after Rainbow Drive villas were flooded on May 17, the Bengaluru East Tahsildar issued notices to encroachers and held a hearing recently. BBMP deployed officials to ensure the water was pumped out. “We also held a meeting with ORRCA and raised the issue of land encroachment in the EcoSpace area. Now after flooding, the authorities have sought BBMP’s help and agreed to release part of the land to make way for a water channel,” he said.
Bengaluru East Tahsildar Ajith Kumar said that after noticing the encroachment at Rainbow Drive, notices were sent and 13 owners whose properties block major areas of the culvert came for the hearing.
The rain also inundated sheds of pourakarmikas in Doddanekundi and Munnekolalu. “About 100 sheds were flooded at Doddanekundi area. Last time, the same thing happened and officials had promises proper homes to BBMP pourakarmikas, but there was no progress,” said Shanmugam, leader of the pourakarmikas.
RAIN FOR NEXT 2 DAYS
BENGALURU: The IMD has forecast rainfall for most parts of Karnataka for the next two days. Bengaluru city, international airport and KSNDMC campus recorded 9 cm rainfall each till 8.30 am on Tuesday.
Rainfall on Monday
Marenahalli 102mm
Doddanekundi 109mm
Sonnappanahalli 89.5mm
Horamavu 90mm
Kannuru 93mm
HAL Airport 85.5mm
Bagalur 152mm
Doddajala 112mm
Marenahalli 102mm
Sathanur 126mm
KG Halli 109 mm
Singasandra 93 mm
Kaggalipura 98mm
Singahalli 92mm
Release of stored rainwater cause flooding, says BWSSB
Bengaluru: The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has appealed people to stop discharging water saved through rain water harvesting methods into the sewage network. This resulted in overflowing of drains and flooding of manholes, causing flooding of roads, it said. In an official release, BWSSB has appealed people to ensure that the stored water is released only into stormwater drains.