Expert: Bengaluru should adopt proven solutions to flooding

Flooding expert Dr KG Ranga Raju from IIT-Roorkee warns that the misery is far from inevitable.
Residents use a discarded door to cross a flooded street in Bengaluru’s Horamavu
Residents use a discarded door to cross a flooded street in Bengaluru’s Horamavu(Photo | Allen Egenuse J)
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BENGALURU: Tech hub Bengaluru has transformed into a waterlogged nightmare, with back-to-back floods in 2022, 2023, and again this year. The chaos that follows, with residents marooned in flooded apartments, and cars and bikes stranded in submerged basements, or even swept away in churning waters. It has been a decade-long struggle with urban flooding in one of India’s most populous cities.

Flooding expert Dr KG Ranga Raju from IIT-Roorkee warns that the misery is far from inevitable. Dr Ranga Raju, a specialist who has advised the Supreme Court and high courts on major water disputes, expressed frustration in a recent interview with The New Indian Express. Cities like New York, Washington, Tokyo, London and Hong Kong have resolved their flooding issues with sophisticated infrastructure, and he believes that Bengaluru could follow suit. “These cities have identified urban flooding as a critical threat and implemented systems that prevent the chaos we see here,” he said.

Dr Raju proposes a bold solution: Constructing vast underground chambers, 80 to 100 metres deep, that can store floodwaters and release them when levels recede. “By using leak-proof, cemented tunnel-like structures connected by pipes, the water can be redirected, stored, and even repurposed for non-potable uses like gardening,” he explained. “Cities across China and Japan have employed this method to safeguard against flood damage, yet Bengaluru waits and watches.”

Civic expert V Ravichandar echoed this urgency, saying, “The usual piecemeal solutions are failing us. Floods have hit Madiwala in South Bengaluru, Bellandur in East Bengaluru, and Northwest Bengaluru in the past seven years. This vulnerability makes it clear that bold action is necessary.”

Dr Raju says the question now is whether the government will act before the next flooding, and if it will adopt the solution, which is clear, achievable and proven effective worldwide.

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