Even as Bangloreans are in a quandary over incessant rain having wreaked havoc across the city last week, all that Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has done in the name of crisis management is to depute officials at flood-prone spots, whenever it rains.
BBMP has now compiled data of all the critical and vulnerable spots where rain can cause damage. As many as 157 such spots have been identified and short- and long-term plans to handle the situation at these points have been drawn up. The list was compiled with the data available at the ward level. The list includes all low-lying areas and those notoriously prone to flooding.
Bangalore district in-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who chaired a review meeting at BBMP on Friday, ordered that at least one BBMP engineer should be at the spot whenever it rains and take measures to mitigate the damage.
A senior official said that the zonal joint commissioners were asked to utilise available funds to take temporary measures like covering drains and putting up temporary obstructions using sand bags in places where water-logging is expected. Also intensive cleaning of drains has been made mandatory.
However, civic activist Kathyayini Chamaraj said measures taken were woefully insufficient and an officer at the vulnerable spot cannot do much in case of a flood. It will be better if BBMP is pro-active before a situation developed rather than making arrangements for crisis management.
In the light of a nine-year-old Geethalakshmi falling into a drain in Bilekahalli, officials were taken to task and the commissioner ordered that barricades must be placed around all civic works that are under way, and the same holds good for works taken up by Bescom. The meeting decided that the 50-crore package announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after the recent havoc will be utilised for removing silt from storm water drains in the city. However, a significant portion would be utilised to settle a part of 104-crore pending bill for desilting of SWDs last year.
SWD Chief Engineer Ananthaswamy was taken to task for the failure of the department in tackling the Anepalya crisis and also the innate delay in solving the Gali Anjaneya temple flooding issue.
