CM’s vows & BCC’s woes

SHOWER OF MISERY
RAIN WOES: A REPLAY

Sunday night too ‘downpoured’ misery. No change in situation. The city almost drowned, yet again. Roads and parks flooded, traffic froze, vehicles submerged, lakes overflowed, people fed up. As has become usual now, Bangalore came to a full stop. With more rain predicted, the monsoon misery may continue.

CM’s vows & BCC’s woes

The Times of India

Bangalore: On Monday, the CM announced a Rs 30 crore package to BCC and CMCs. And the BCC p ro m p t ly announced w o rk s worth Rs 20 crore. But wait. When the skies opened up early last month and drowned the city, the chief minister was quick to announce Rs 10 crore to BCC to take up immediate flood relief works. But, till date, the BCC has not received a single paisa.

Will this too remain a promise? Say BCC officials: “The money has not been cleared by finance department. So, until this new package reaches us, there is no guarantee.’’

But how prepared is the BCC? To man the city which is spread over 225 sq km, the BCC has 8 cutting machines, 6 JCBs, 3 pumps and 72 persons in its control rooms. And this bit of information has come from none other than BCC commissioner K Jothiramalingam.

But the BCC has gone ahead and announced some works under the new package which it is yet to receive. It has identified projects pertaining to drain work. BCC engineer-in-chief P K Sreehari said the major works are construction of retaining walls of the storm water drains and purchase of machinery.

In case of emergency, the BCC will make temporary rehabilitation arrangements. But what happened to the drain regradation work? For the last five years, the BCC has been harping on a storm water drain regradation project at a cost of Rs 378 crore which involves cleaning and deepening of the four valleys. But as on today, status according to the BCC commissioner is: “Vrishbhavathi valley — two package works not finalised; Hebbal valley — tendering process in final stages; work started on Koramangala and Challaghatta valleys.’’
Dear BCC, people want ACTION, NOW.