Busy with elections, Bengaluru caught unprepared for onset of monsoon

The BBMP has been maintaining that it has been continually working towards averting floods, including clearing encroachments

Sources in the BBMP say that a lack of coordination among departments resulted in poor preparation ahead of onset of the monsoon.  | Photo Credit: ani

Bengaluru Heavy rain that brought parts of Bengaluru to its knees on Sunday has yet again exposed the unpreparedness of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), with the monsoon just weeks away. This is despite the corporation coming under severe criticism for its failure to manage floods last year.

In September, 2022, overnight rain wreaked havoc in the city. The State government had allocated over ₹1,500 crore towards fixing faulty storm-water drains and for the removal of silt from drains.

The BBMP has been maintaining that it has been continually working towards averting floods, including clearing encroachments.

According to a BBMP official, of the 209 locations identified as flood-prone areas, the civic body could only resolve storm-water drain issues in 84 places.

The official maintained that elections and delay in payment to contractors slowed down the work. Unless immediate temporary measures are undertaken these areas may reel under flooding. Many areas fall in the tech corridor in Mahadevapura zone. 

“We have completed about 45% storm-water drain works, while removal of silt is a routine affair. We have managed to fix flood-related issues in many areas,” said Basavaraj Kabade, Chief Engineer (SWD).

As per BBMP data, the civic body is yet to clear 784 encroachments from SWDs.

Sources in the BBMP say that a lack of coordination among departments resulted in poor preparation ahead of onset of the monsoon.

The Forest Department is yet to cut the branches, the Road Infrastructure Department has not cleaned side drains and many primary secondary drains are still filled with silt, while the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has failed to check the flow of sewage into the drains.

In several vulnerable places, pumpsets are not deployed to flush out water, and ducts on the roads and underpasses are choked with silt and fallen leaves.

“About 40-45% of BBMP officials were on election duty and for nearly a month, hardly any works were carried out jeopardising the preparations.”

Sandeep Anirudhan, a civic activist, said the BBMP’ encroachment drive has not yielded expected results. The drive has not cleared encroachments on rajakaluve and lake buffer zones and flood plains. The drive was merely focused on rajakaluves identified on revenue maps which are reduced in width owing to unchecked development.

Mr. Anirudhan alleged that the Bengaluru Development Authority’s (BDA) revised master plan 2015 is faulty and the BBMP cannot relay on the same. 

Tushar Giri Nath, Chief Commissioner, BBMP, speaking to The Hindu, said the civic body is fully prepared to face the monsoon.

He maintained that Sunday’s accident was caused by 50 mm of rain that lashed in just 45 minutes. The volume of the rain and the falling of branches and leaves on the road caused flooding. 

He said despite heavy rainfall, only 20 houses were flooded and 15 houses in Mahalakshmi Layout were inundated, owing to the BBMP drain works which are under way.

Beginning this March, preparations were intensified and silt was being removed from drains. However, about 108 km of unlined drains, including between Varthur and Bellandur, will be taken as in when it is necessary.