With the monsoon round the corner, civic officials have been instructed to not only identify flood prone areas, but also take up flood mitigation measures.
On Wednesday, Minister for Urban Development B.A. Basavaraj, accompanied by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta, reviewed various measures taken in this regard, including the proposed widening of railway under bridge and removing two feet of water from Kalkere lake.
Sai Layout, Geddalahalli and a few other areas near Hennur Main Road get flooded with 80-90 mm of rainfall. The rainwater flows through the Hebbal Valley to Kalkere and Rampura lakes. Waterlogging can be solved if the railway under bridge near the valley is widened, said BBMP officials in a press release.
B.S. Prahlad, Chief Engineer, Stormwater Drain Department, said the South Western Railways had already granted permission for the work. “Once widened, heavy rain of 130 mm an hour also will not cause any water logging or flooding in surrounding areas,” he claimed.
The Minister said residents of the area were inconvenienced due to rainwater flowing to Hebbal Valley from Sarvajnanagar, C.V. Raman Nagar and Hebbal.
The Kalkare lake, spread across 183 acres, is full. Wastewater treated by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s wastewater treatment plant near Horamavu is released into the lake. Mr. Gupta directed Mohan Krishna, BBMP Chief Engineer, Lakes Department, to remove two feet of water from the lake to ensure that heavy rains do not result in overflow.
