Rain may bring joy to many, but for residents in some parts of Bengaluru, it pours misery. As the drains overflow and roads get flooded, dirty water from the roads and sewage from the drains enter homes, giving residents sleepless nights and tumultuous days.
Residents of a street in Garuthaman Park, Jayanagar, who have had to deal with rainwater and sewage flowing into their homes in the past, are worried that a heavy spell of rain will add to their woes. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is working to reconstruct the network of storm-water drains in the area, but the slow pace of work has left residents worried.
Nikitha (name changed on request), who lives on Temple Road at Garuthaman Park, said, “We had a tough time in February when it rained heavily. The storm-water drains overflowed with rainwater and it seeped through the main door. Our bathroom drain was overflowing with sewage and flooding the house.”
According to members of Garuthaman Park Residents’ Welfare Association, this is a perennial problem as the area is susceptible to waterlogging. Another resident of the locality, T.R. Lakshmisha, said, “Between 20 and 25 people in the neighbourhood face problems of rainwater and sewage flowing into their homes.”
Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun said the BBMP has identified the problems in the area. “One is that slit has accumulated in the SWDs. The other problem is that the main roads surrounding the area are at a height more than the crossroads in the locality. When it rains heavily, water flows into the crossroads and houses. Because of this, the BBMP is removing silt from the drains and reconstructing them to form shoulder drains. This will improve the depth and also ensure that even if houses are located at a lower plane, water will not flow inside,” she said. She added that the drains would be reconstructed by August 25.
Living with sewage
Residents of a slum at K.S. Garden, 4th Cross, Lalbagh Road, have been forced to live with sewage flowing outside their homes — a problem exacerbated in recent days thanks to intermittent rains. “We have been living with this problem for years, but it has become worse now. We have asked the BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board) and BBMP to give us a permanent solution,” said a resident, who claim that the culprit was a clogged public toilet that has not been cleaned properly.
In the past, BBMP officials came and unclogged it, but the problem recurs within days, according to residents. Families are worried as their children and senior citizens will be exposed to vector-borne diseases and diarrhoea because of the unhygienic conditions they are forced to live in. “My children are currently suffering from dengue,” said Jaya, a resident.
R.V. Yuvraj, the councillor of Sudhamanagar, said he has taken up the matter with the MLA concerned, Uday B. Garudachar, and the problem would be solved within 45 days. “We have already called for tender to renovate the toilet and change the sanitary line. The contract will be finalised in a week and the public toilets will be renovated in about 45 days,” Mr. Yuvraj said.
(With inputs from Nived Uthaiah P., Nikhil Rao M.N., Vinay B.S. and Manasa Raghavendran)
