BENGALURU: BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath informed that the heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday flooded 63 houses in Mahalakshmi Layout apart from the Kendriya Vihar apartment complex in Yelahanka zone. As more damages have been reported at Mahalakshmi Layout, the zonal commissioner has been instructed to pay compensation to the affected houses.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, the Palike chief also mentioned that nearly 800 potholes have appeared in the city following the rain, and the BBMP will fix them soon.
Though Mahadevapura and Bommanahalli zones recorded low rainfall, they faced serious traffic issues. In Hampi Nagar in West zone, 108. 2 mm of rainfall was recorded in 2.5 hours on Saturday evening. Similarly, surrounding areas like Nandini Layout, Yelahanka and others recorded heavy rainfall, he said.
“The apartment complex at Kendriya Vihar came up outside the Yelahanka lake bund. The wall that protected the complex from flooding collapsed and hence it was flooded. We have deployed people to pump out water. In the West zone, heavy rainfall for an hour flooded 63 homes in Mahalakshmi Layout. I have directed the zonal commissioner to compensate the houses that were damaged,” he said.
The chief commissioner also informed that in Binny Pet, the wall that had collapsed was on private property and there was no injury and no flooding. The Palike also cleared about 20 trees that were uprooted in the rain.
Asked about the possibility of encroachments that could be a reason for the flooding of the apartment complex in Yelahanka, he clarified that Kendriya Vihar is situated below the tank bund. “Although we constructed a stormwater drain, during heavy rain, the area is prone to flooding. We cannot say if there is any encroachment in the area. In the past, the place was shown as an irrigation canal and did not have much width. And slowly houses started to come up. It was outside the planning area earlier and was added only recently. There will always be problems, but we will try to solve them. We will see if we have to make another canal,” Girinath said.
On the compensation for houses that were flooded, he said the Palike is giving Rs 10,000 for each house under the direct benefit transfer from its fund. He also mentioned that during his night rounds during the rain, he found water stagnation at Hebbal service road only.