With unprecedented monsoon has come damage too. Roads have been battered beyond recognition, while inundation of areas has become a common sight.
The rain on Saturday night and early Sunday saw a section of the sheet installed under the tracks of the Kino theatre underpass in Sheshadripuram collapse. Traffic was restricted on the busy underpass for much of Sunday morning until the sheet was removed and repaired.
Meanwhile, a section of Kempegowda bus-stand for intercity and interstate buses remained under knee-high water.
According to Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) officials, the area was being used by buses for parking only and not for operations. As the portion had recently been handed back to KSRTC, after the completion of the Kempegowda Metro Station, the area remained prone to flooding.
Dealing with rain
The intense rain was forcing the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to come up with “permanent” solutions for floods. While a pumping mechanism reduced inundation in areas such as Kino theatre and Gali Anjeneya temple this season, new flood spots were noticed at HSR layout and OMBR layout.
“We have asked consultants to suggest ways to prevent flooding in HSR Layout as the stormwater drain passes through Sector 3,6 and 7. Even a detailed topological study has been commissioned. The project may cost ₹58 crore to upgrade the drains. As Agara lake has also been rejuvenated, the sewage in the drains are being sent only through narrow diversionary channels, and this is seeing the stormwater drain overflow,” said BBMP Commissioner Manjunath N. Prasad.
Similarly, stormwater drain design at OMBR Layout and Shantinagar, which lead to inundation of the busy bus-stand, was being relooked at, he said.
