Relief in case of torrential rain similar to the one that battered the city on Friday is now just 10 minutes away, if Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner Siddaiah is to be believed.
Speaking during the inspection of rain-related damage here on Saturday, Mr. Siddaiah said the number of rescue squads has been increased from 13 to 60.
Teams
“A majority of the new teams will be stationed in BBMP ward offices close to flood-prone areas. They will be as well-equipped as the Praharis and will reach the spot in 10 minutes,” he said.
Commissioner Siddaiah said the city's storm water drains were capable of withstanding a maximum of 70 mm rainfall and needed to be remodelled. Of the 15 packages of the Rs. 940-crore project, only one had been completed at a cost of about Rs. 300 crore.
Post-mortem
A team of BBMP and BDA officials along with R. Ashok and Katta Subramanya Naidu, Ministers in-charge of Bangalore South and North respectively did a post-mortem of the damage, visiting areas such as the spot near Kino theatre where a culvert was damaged, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Employees' Quarters in Shantinagar and the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) Colony in Ejipura where many houses were flooded.
