More than 500 personnel from the city police, National Disaster Response Force, Fire and Emergency Services as well as Civil Defence personnel were deployed to BTM Layout on Sunday afternoon after water from the nearby Hulimavu lake gushed into hundreds of houses. Rescue operations began around 12 noon and winded down only by 10 p.m.
It took the personnel hours to contain the breach. “We used around 300 truckloads of mud to cover the breached bund and stop water from gushing into the residential areas,” said Pradeep Kumar K.K., Emergency Coordinator, Disaster Management Cell.
According Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials, around 800 houses were damaged and 193 people were evacuated to safety — 130 people were brought to safety with quick response teams guiding them with ropes while boats were used to rescue 63 people, many of whom were senior citizens, women, and children, including a 3-month-old baby. Shelters were set up at an indoor badminton court, Ambedkar Bhavan, and Sai Baba Ashram. Pumps were used to clear basements of houses of water.
The lake is spread around 127 acres. “Fortunately, the breach occurred during the day, and we were able to ensure that residents were evacuated safely,” Mr. Kumar said. As daylight waned, teams operated with the help of emergency lights, but the situation was brought under control by late evening.
Many roads in and around the area were flooded and Hulimavu traffic police were deployed to divert motorists to other areas. “Traffic movement on Sir M.V. Road in Hulimavu was badly affected and traffic movement came to a halt,” said a senior police officer.
