Blame umpteen encroachments, clogged drains for flooding

Blame umpteen encroachments, clogged drains for flooding
The Times of India

Bangalore: Walls collapsing like they were made of paper, trees falling and houses getting flooded.

All in a night’s work of 121 mm rainfall.

Even late Sunday evening, the busiest roads of the city were flooded above pavement level and adding to the woes, traffic movement was snail-paced. And on Saturday night, helplines in city limits received innumerable calls from hapless citizens stranded at their flooded homes and call-centre offices.

A young life was snuffed out — the body of five-year-old Sohail from Vinobhanagar was found in a dug-up trench at Kalasipalya. Unconfirmed reports said some ten persons were trapped at a building at Mangammanapalya.

More than 300 houses at Hosakere Gandhinagar Kengeri Satellite Town were affected and people took to the streets protesting against the authorities. With a huge amount of encroachment on the Kengeri lake bed, the special DC (Bangalore) Rame Goud could do nothing much but help residents pump water out of their homes. Later in the day, about 1,000 residents blocked the road and protested against the 23 councillors of Kengeri town municipal council. The police were pressed into action but people did not bow down and ordered the crest gates be opened to let the water out.

The worst affected: At Mangamanpalya in Madivala, all hell broke loose as the lake overflowed. The MEG personnel had to use boats to ferry people out of stranded places. Sectors 5, 6 and 7 in HSR Layout were under 3 feet water.

In Hosur Road, some 7,500 phone lines have snapped affecting areas like Bommanhalli, Begur Road, Naganathapura, Kudlu. In west Bangalore, the Mysore Road faced problems with slums and road-side eateries practically marooned. Floods and stagnant water: Sunday morning unfolded a rare sight to the sparse walkers — Cubbon Park was flooded, bushes, thickets and trees had water all around. For the devout, the Pentecostal Mission Church prayer hall on Coles Road had rainwater which had to be cleared by workers for hours. Vasuki, a resident of HSR Layout says his house has been in 3-feet deep water all of Sunday and that there was no redressal to his or any of the residents’ problems.

For the families of over 600 persons at HAL 2nd stage, flooding and water gushing in has been a permanent feature. Here, the storm-water drains are at a very low level ensuring that rainwater from Domlur comes right to this area.

Pro-active measures: The Prahari vehicles and trained gangmen at the BCC, deployed round the clock went to areas calling for emergency action and helped in desilting, pumping out water and unclogging minor drains. A BCC team lead by commissioner K Jothiramalingam, inspected the Nayandahalli area where the tank water had breached beyond levels. Consequently, the backwater had inundated the Bande slums, Raja Mills and Ring Road-Mysore Road junction.

The reason for floods: Rainfall heavier than the average, 1401 mm as against the average of 970 mm, drains choked beyond capacity, reducing their seepage from 7 mts to 2 mts, roads which don’t have properly designed cambers (outlets at strategic points on a road to take in water). Redesigning the valleys, into which the drains of the city flow into, is a mammoth 18-month exercise. Work on the Vrishabavathi Valley and Challaghatta Valley has been underway for the last three months. Traffic and the city: The traffic police have advised motorists going towards Electronic City to avoid Hosur Road.
Roads that can be taken: Bannerghatta Road, J D Mara, Meenakshi Temple, Anekal Road, Bommasandra, Sarjapur Road, Iblur junction, Kaigondanahalli, Parappana Agrahara.

Bangalore, epicentre
Bangalore: Blame it all on the North-East monsoon. The low pressure system of this monsoon has been hovering over the city. In fact, Bangalore, since Saturday morning, has been the epicentre of cyclonic circulation. As met department officials explain, the North-East monsoon is known for incessant rainfall but nothing of the heavy sort that has been pounding the city. The worst fear of the department is the rain exceeding the highest monthly total. October 2005 is very close to that.

Another meeting!
Bangalore: Chief minister N Dharam Singh has convened a meeting of deputy chief minister, city legislators, mayor and heads of BCC, BDA, BWSSB and BESCOM to take stock of rain damages in the city. The meeting will be held on Monday.

The CM has directed Bangalore urban district minister R Ramalinga Reddy to inspect the low lying areas of Bangalore and initiate required relief measures. Singh, who also had a word with mayor R. Narayanaswamy, has asked him to ensure that relief works are implemented.

Ramesh P from Abbaiah Reddy Layout in Kaggadasapura: “Our area is totally flooded and the local lake water has entered our homes. While flooding started in the morning, even now (7:10 pm) there is knee deep water.’’

K S Udupa from Nanjappa Road in Shanthinagar: “About three months ago, officials started digging the entire road. And now, they have left the work incomplete and disappeared. The entire road is under water and we have been pumping water from our homes and the rains have started again.’’
Amitabh Kumar from Jayanagar 6th Phase:

“Our area looks like an island and there is no one responding to our complaints. Houses in the ground floor are inundated and our cars too are under water.’’

Pushpa Kumar from HSR Layout: “The Begur Lake started overflowing on Sunday morning and the crest gates have been opened. Now, water has entered our homes and offices.We have lost so many crucial papers and documents.’’