BCC to take up storm water drain work

BCC to take up storm water drain work
There are both long-term and short-term measures on the cards
The Times of India

The Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) has proposed two plans to remodel, widen, cover and set right storm water drains (SWDs) in the city that have created problems for the residents of the city along arterial, sub-arterial, and main roads.

The authority drew a lot of flak during the recent rains as flooding across the city due to incapacitated drains had created havoc for commuters, pedestrians and residents in the low lying areas of the city. Now, the BCC is putting into action a project of setting right the drains.

"As a short-term measure over 200 km of SWDs have been identified that will get desilted and covered in the city and for this purpose we have divided the project into six packages costing a total of Rs 18 crores with each package costing Rs 3 crores. The work will be over in six months from the date of commissioning", says a senior BCC engineer, adding that tenders have been called and soon the project will be commissioned with an approval from the BCC Council.

He said Malleswaram, Gandhinagar, Mahalakshmipuram, Rajajinagar, Binnypet, Chandra Layout, Basavanagudi, Jayanagar, Shantinagar, Bharatinagar, Shivajinagar and Jayamahal and the surrounding localities will be taken up under the six packages. This time a third party inspection will be carried out and strict action will be taken against contractors who don't stick to agreed standards. "We are carrying out a study on encroachments to SWDs and immediately we will press our task force to evacuate the encroachers", he says.

Mayor R Narayanaswamy says, "this project was long due. Since the project is mammoth in exercise, it took a lot of time to prepare a detailed project report. The funding for the project had to be worked out and the designs for remodeling were another tough task. But at this juncture we are ready with the plans and soon the project will be executed".

As a long-term measure a comprehensive plan has been chalked out to remodel the Koramangala Valley, Hebbal Valley, Challaghatta Valley, and the Vrishabavathi Valley, and BCC has already allocated Rs 450 crores for this purpose. The Koramangala Valley is being commissioned first and subsequently the Hebbal Valley will be taken up. Till these mega projects are over the BCC will carry out temporary works to ensure safety to the residents, the Mayor said.

"Once the SWDs in the city are remodeled and completely separated from the sewage drains we will see a free flow of storm water. At present, with RCC slabs covering the drains, we are ensuring that debris are not dumped into them. When there is clogging we remove the slab and clear it. Also, the covering of these drains will prevent health hazards and diseases like malaria and dengue", he adds.

The project envisages covering of drains with pre-cast RCC slabs and fixing of chain link fencing and guardrails along the drains. The slabs will be two metres wide and will have perforations. They can be removed to desilt the drain and put back. The BCC has also planned to carry out minor repairs on storm water drains like restoring the walls of the drains. Drains that pose a threat in different areas have been taken up on a priority basis.