Deluge & after: BMP discovers improper planning by builders

Deluge & after: BMP discovers improper planning by builders
Deccan Herald

In most of the cases, builders in their greed have failed to provide basic drainage facilties.




Bangalore: “Excellent location. Ten kilometres from M G Road. Swimming pool, club house, car park, shopping complex....”

Warning to buyers: Do not fall for such outer trappings. Instead, look at what lies beneath. Like the drainage system.

It was a faulty drainage system that choked privately owned apartment blocks on Bannerghatta Road with rain and drainage water on Monday. And the fault lies largely with the builders who indulged in indiscriminate construction work, say BMP engineers who inspected the site on Tuesday.

While one private developer built a compound wall a kilometre away from the Madiwala Lake, thus restricting the outflow of drainage water, another has covered the entire ‘natural nala’ with slabs and constructed a car park on it. Yet another builder has attempted to change the course of the stormwater drain itself!

On the banks of the Madiwala Lake, a man who claims to be the owner, has built a wall and constructed a 3.2-metre drainage outlet (instead of the required eight metres), thus narrowing the drain at the end. “This area used to be an open space where water used to flow out.

However, because of this drain, the water flow has been restricted,” explains Puttamaligaiah, Executive Engineer (Infrastructure), Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP). The BMP is now planning to construct channels from that drain to unclog the blockage.

One of the builders has filled a stretch of the 15-metre-wide stormwater drain and constructed a diversion in the form of a four-metre-wide concrete drain using his own specifications. He has covered it as well, thus making desilting impossible, reveals a BMP engineer.

Confusion

For those wondering why these activities have not been checked yet, the reason is that the authorities are yet to make up their mind on who is ‘accountable’ . As the land is Bangalore Development Authority approved, Bommanahalli City Municipal Council believes it is the job of the BDA to ensure that drainage facilities are provided for. However, BDA, and even the BMP, feel that local CMCs must ensure the maintenance of the drainage system.

Meanwhile, private developers who construct high rises do not provide adequate drainage routes for all the apartment houses. “In their greed to build a large number of houses, builders ignore the drainage requirements. The drainage system is very narrow and do not have the carrying capacity to deal with the requirement of all the flats.

This excess water outflow results in flooding,” Puttamaligaiah says.

In fact, this point was clearly seconded by a resident whose villa was flooded with dirty water on Monday. “The builder has not made any drainage outlets at our end of the colony, which is why our living area gets flooded upto three feet after every downpour. We are left wishing we had not bought a property here at all,” rues Revathi.

BUYERS BEWARE

Don’t get lured by the beauty or the brand name of the apartments.

Get a civil engineer to check the quality of the drainage system and other facilities.

Avoid buying property on tank bed areas.

Ensure that wide drainage outlets are provided for.

Insist that the developer gives you a project report, detailing the basic amenities, and drainage disposal points provided for.