After a night of heavy rains, the corner bund of Doddabidarakallu lake gave way and water inundated as many as 500 houses in the surrounding areas early on Thursday morning. Residents of Bhavani Nagar, Annapurneshwari Layout, Anandappa Layout and Muneshwara Layout could only watch helplessly as water entered their homes. In areas abutting the lake, water levels were as high as 6 feet. Power cuts only added to the misery.
“It happened suddenly. We were asleep, and the next thing we knew our houses were flooded,” said a resident.
Northern parts of the city bore the brunt of heavy rains on Wednesday night. Doddabidarakallu received 110 mm of rainfall while adjoining Chikkabidarakallu, Bagalagunte, Peenya and Dasarahalli received over 100 mm.
Spot where Doddabidarakallu lake was breached due to heavy rain on Wednesday night.
According to locals and officials, the bund breached around 2 a.m. as a part of the lake received a huge volume of water from a stormwater drain (SWD) located upstream. The police reached the spot around 3 a.m. along with a Quick Response Team, and fire and emergency service personnel.
“It was a challenge to find the source of the breach in the darkness. The water level was as high as six feet in the surrounding areas,” an official from the QRT said.
Nagaraj D., a resident of the area, said that they had never experienced such flooding before. “The water just entered our homes with force.. It was raining heavily, and we did not know what to do,” he said.
Heavy flow of rain water damaged drains near Nelagadaranahalli Main Road at Nagasandra.
Food and shelter
Mayor M. Goutham Kumar, along with senior BBMP officials, visited the spot on Thursday morning. He directed officials to take necessary steps to restore normalcy. BBMP Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar, who was also at the spot, told The Hindu that the BBMP had provided food to affected families and opened a shelter at the government school and a hall nearby. “Some compensation will be given to the affected residents,” he added.
BBMP personnel have been instructed to clear garbage and slush in the affected layouts.
The civic body will take necessary steps to develop the surrounding areas. “These areas come under the BBMP’s ambitious project of providing under ground drainage. Once the work is complete, it will definitely mitigate such unexpected problems,” Mr. Kumar added.
Water flowing out of the breach in Doddabidarakallu lake.
SWDs encroached
While inspecting rain-affected areas, officials noticed that several buildings had encroached on rajakaluves. The mayor directed the police to file an FIR against the owner of a building on Nelagadaranahalli Road for constructing over an SWD. He directed officials to clear illegal constructions and submit a report.
One of the localities that was inundated following heavy rain and the breach in Doddabidarakallu lake on Wednesday night.
