Dakshina Pinakini river in spate, cuts off e-store godowns

BENGALURU: Areas downstream of Hoskote panchayat are getting flooded, cutting off connectivity between Bengaluru and Koraluru village panchayat in Hoskote taluk which houses warehouses of large brands like Big Basket, Flipkart and Amazon.

This has occurred as Dakshina Pinakini river is overflowing, causing the Channasandra bridge a prime link connecting the panchayat limits with Bengaluru to be submerged. Locals as well as those who have to visit the warehouses are now stranded or unable to commute.

The river is said to be overflowing as Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) released large quantities of water downstream from Varthur and Bellandur lakes, to de-water flooded areas in Mahadevapura, Bellandur, Varthur, Sarjapura, Whitefield and other surrounding areas in Bengaluru city.

The area falls under panchayat limits and is under Bengaluru Rural district administration. It is the last point of BBMP limits. Since transport has been completely cut off, schools in the area have declared holidays for offline classes. Due to water stagnation, many workers are also stranded in the warehouses.
The river filled to the brim due to continuous rainfall. The lakes in the area connecting Sarjapur, Hoskote and surrounding areas are also filled up to the brim.

“We have been stranded in our homes since the last two days. Channasandra bridge is the only link for us to commute to Bengaluru. The other road, Hoskote road, is also closed because of flooding. The road on the river bridge has become a lower gradient because of rampant illegal sand dumping near the bridge for six months.

Now with excessive water being released down the valleys from Bengaluru, coupled with the river swelling up and the rain, the river is overflowing and there is flooding. We have had no help from any government agencies since the last two days,” said Ramana M, a resident of Koraluru village.

‘We are depending on tractors to ferry us’

Residents of Thirumalashettihalli, Samethanahalli and other surrounding areas also echo the same laments. The areas house many high-rise apartment complexes, who depend upon commercial establishments in Whitefield and Hoskote for medical, healthcare facilities and household needs. But they are now left to depend on local stores for daily milk and vegetable supply.

“We are unable to cross the bridge. Cars and two-wheelers are getting stranded, while buses have stopped commuting and we are depending on tractors to ferry us. The difference between the road, drain and river cannot be made out and commuting is very dangerous.

Electricity supply is also irregular, making matters worse,” said Pratik Ghosh, another resident. Officials from Bengaluru Rural district administration said they were looking into the issue. They said the flooding was unexpected. JCBs are being used to clear the weeds for smooth flow of water, but because of rain, it is getting delayed.