Officials above the rank of assistant engineers at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will not be granted leave till the end of the monsoon even as the search for the mason who was washed away during Saturday’s rain continues.
The decision to cancel leave, except in case of an emergency, was taken on Monday at a meeting convened to discuss precautionary measures to be put in place. The meeting was chaired by Mayor G. Padmavathi and Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad.
As part of the precautionary measures, 72 temporary control rooms would be set up. They will have essential equipment to prevent accidents during heavy rain. Mr. Prasad directed the Forest Cell to set up 21 teams comprising staff and vehicles to be utilised during heavy rain.
Search for missing man
Meanwhile, authorities stepped up efforts to trace Shantha Kumar, the mason who was swept away by gushing water in a storm water drain (SWD) at Kurubarahalli.
BBMP Chief Engineer (SWD) Siddegowda said that 300 personnel of the BBMP, 25 of the National Disaster Response Force and 51 of the Fire and Emergency Services were searching a 30-km stretch from Jnanabharathi, Bangalore University campus to Byramangala lake.
"If we cannot find him, officials will start searching in the lake," said Mr. Siddegowda. Twenty earth movers have been deployed for the search operation.
"We are searching the entire canal," said Ramakrishna, officer, Fire and Emergency Services.
Ravindra, member, Contractors’ Association, said that workers do not usually work at night. "Only if there is an emergency do workers get into drains at night, like if there is a flood due to heavy rain," he said.
However, he could not explain why an earth mover should be employed at night in heavy rain putting the life of workers at risk.
