CM wakes up sleepy BMP

CM wakes up sleepy BMP

Deccan Herald

BANGALORE : It were not just hapless Bangaloreans complaining on Friday night, when heavy rain threatened to send theCity’s infrastructure tum bling. Even Chief Minister H D Kumaaraswamy was forced to place a complaint, when commuting on Mysore Road, he found thestretch near Best Club unmotorable due to water log ging.

A day later, BMP officials had to explain them selves at an unscheduled review meeting with theCM, followed up with an in spection of storm water drain upgradation work on Mysore Road.

“The chief minister called me late at Friday night from somewhere near the Best Club to saythe roads have been flooded,” revealed BMP Commissioner K Jairaj after in specting two vulnerable spots — the junction of Ring Road and Mysore Road and Nayandahallioutside Rajarajeshwari Nagara Gate, on Saturday af ternoon.

As a short term measure, Jairaj gave instruc tions to desilt and widen the clogged,narrow sewagedrains to the depth of 1 me tre, along the length of 500 metres from Nayandahalli Tank and University Gate in the downstream of the valley.

In another measure, it was decided to have an earthen channel from BestClub to Vrishabhavathi valley to divert the storm wa ter flow.

A deadline of one monthhas been set for the comple tion of the works.

As a long term solution,the BMP is planning to con nect Nayandahalli tank to a part of the SWD that passesthrough the BWSSB treat ment plant, located on the opposite side of Mysore Road.

Noting the illegal timber yards that have en croached upon the natural course of the valley, the matters unresolved due to a High Court stay order, Jairaj said he will request the Court to vacate the stay at the earliest.

Also, as a way to prevent water clogging on Mysore Road, the BMP is planning to raise the height of the dipped portion of MysoreRoad by one-two feet, to al low the water to flow out. However, this will be done after the monsoon.

Joint Commissioner(South) Yeshwant, Engineer-in-Chief Rame Gow da, Technical Advisor Jai Prasad, Chief Engineer (Projects) A M Ranganath and other senior officialsparticipated in the inspec tion.

The chief minister held a review meeting with BMP, BDA and BWSSB onSaturday, where he direct ed them to complete allcivic works before the mon soon season.

“It is not very late, westill have time to take reme dial measures. The work is going on, we will be ready before the monsoon sets in,” Kumaaraswamy toldreporters after the meeting. “I have given them in structions to take short term steps that will at least control the flood situation in the city,” he added.

According to sources, the meeting gave thrust toco-ordination between var ious agencies. It has beendecided that senior engi neers of BMP, BDA andBWSSB will hold co-ordination meetings every Mon day.