BENGALURU: The Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike has identified over 500 encroachments and will clear all of them in the next two months, BBMP Commissioner Tushar Girinath said here on Monday. Briefing the press about the record rainfall and floods, he said heavy rain through Sunday night and the overflowing Savalkere Lake impacted Mahadevapura’s ORR, Sarjapur, Yamalur, Marathahalli and Borewell Road. The areas were flooded and traffic was gridlocked.
Girinath said at least 28 areas of Mahadevapura, 24 areas of East, and nine areas of Bommanahalli zones were flooded due to rain. The Palike took up a storm water drain encroachment clearance at 40-odd places, especially in Mahadevapura zone, but the copious rain and a swelling Bellandur Lake resulted in the deluge.
Asked why BBMP failed to take action against officials for the mess, he said the Urban Development Department is yet to give directions. Recently, CM Basavaraj Bommai had held officials responsible for the monsoon mess, and warned that an inquiry would be taken up against officials who cleared licences and NOCs for buildings on drains, lakes and in buffer zones.
Girinath informed that after estimation of losses, the Palike will give Rs 10,000 to those affected. At present, the focus is on relocation of the public and also providing nutrition. BBMP is working on a 300m pipeline, and will soon complete the remaining work on 47m at RMZ-EcoSpace area, to fix flooding on ORR Road. On Yamalur Road, once water recedes, low-lying areas of HAL that were flooded due to an overflowing Vibhutipura Lake, will have some respite.
Similarly, drains will be cleared to divert water, and ensure that HSR Layout in Bommanahalli does not flood. As a few builders have encroached drains, he said notices will not be issued, instead, the encroachments will be cleared, based on the Revenue department’s map.
Rain Gauge
Airport Watchtower 4 - 68.5
Jakkur - 61.5
Anekal - 50
Bellandur - 89
Bommasandra - 55
Kammanahalli - 63
Banasawadi - 87
Avalahalli - 83
(figures in mm)
The IMD has also issued an heavy rainfall alert till September 9, 2022 as the southwest monsoon is vigorous over south interior Karnataka. They have issued an alert for extremely heavy rainfall which could lead to flooding of roads, water logging, occasional reduction in visibility.
Rainfall in Bengaluru (in mm) on Sept 4, 2022
177.6 Sept 12, 1988 (all-time record)
132.3 Sept 26, 2014
Down in downpour
Conductor, bus driver awarded for bravery
Bengaluru : Managing Director of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) V Anbu Kumar on Monday felicitated the driver and conductor of a bus for saving the lives of passengers after the vehicle was submerged on a flooded road in Uragahalli near Ramanagara. The locals were also alerted who helped the staffers to rescue an old woman. On August 29, the bus was stuck on a flooded road near the railway bridge. The driver Lingaraju and conductor Venkatesh had managed to save all the passengers, although they did not know how to swim, but used a ladder to rescue them. They said that their mobile phones went into the water, cutting them off from KSRTC officials. The KSRTC chief awarded the duo for their bravery in his chamber along with an appreciation letter.
Brace for dry taps, pumphouses sink in TK Halli
Bengaluru: Many areas in Bengaluru will face water scarcity for the next two days as two pumping stations were submerged after heavy rain, in TK Halli in Mandya district. The pumping machines at third and fourth units of Cauvery catchment area were submerged after the river Bheemeshwara and tank overflowed. Inspecting the pumphouses on Monday, CM Basavaraj Bommai said the rainwater had damaged two of the five BWSSB pumphouses. The river had received so much water after 75 years, he said. One 550MLD capacity pumphouse has started functioning and is supplying water to Bengaluru, while repairs have also started. Already, 12ft of water has been drained out from Stage 4 pumphouse and the remaining 11ft is expected to be completed by midnight or Tuesday morning. Bommai said the pumphouse will start functioning after a dry run of the machinery. As a permanent measure to check waterlogging, a concrete wall will be constructed around the pumphouse. Higher Education Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, Revenue Minister R Ashoka, Urban Development Minister Byrati Basavaraj and others accompanied Bommai. The BWSSB announced that there will be no water supply across Bengaluru in the next two days.
It’s back to ‘study from home’
Bengaluru: With unrelenting rain lashing the city over the past few days, more schools are considering switching to online classes, in the interest of teachers and students. Many areas were flooded and commute was taking longer than usual, forcing some branches of Orchid International School to switch to online classes on Monday, especially due to the deluge in Bellandur and Sarjapur areas. “Today, there was heavy waterlogging at Bellandur and Sarjapur Road in the morning due to heavy rainfall the previous night. These are the main routes that connect to our school. Many teachers also reported difficulty in commuting,” said Dr Rajni Bakshi, principal of the Sarjapur branch of the school. Meanwhile, some schools are still considering taking up online classes. “The school, which is in the vicinity of one of the worst-hit parts of the city, was open, especially due to Teacher’s Day celebrations. The commute to school was a big challenge. Many buses couldn’t make it to school on time, and students were sent home early. Teachers’ Day celebrations were also curtailed,” said Niru Agarwal, trustee of Greenwood High International School.
Students, teachers rush to save flooded school
Bengaluru : The rain monster seems to have hit education as well. A Government Higher Primary School in Vajrahalli, near Nelamangala, was inundated, forcing school authorities to announce a two-day holiday on Monday. Water gushed into seven classrooms, destroying furniture, study material and documents. Headmaster Soubhagya M said torrential rain late at night damaged the compound wall and left the premises flooded. Local leaders, villagers and panchayat members have assured that new material will be provided. When students and teachers saw the plight of the school on television, they rushed to help drain out the water and also shift study materials to three classrooms which were unaffected. Town Panchayat member Kemparaju said encroachment of the rajakaluve had led to waterlogging on the school premises, for which strict action should be taken.