`BMP squads set up to tackle emergencies are useless'

`BMP squads set up to tackle emergencies are useless'

The Hindu

Residents of at least 50 houses in a BDA layout are apprehensive of rainy days
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Residents' complaints
BMP, BWSSB passing the buck
Storm water, sewage drains cannot bear the load and they overflow
When it rains, dirty water seeps into sumps
Culverts have not been cleaned
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Bangalore: "We need to become officers of the civil services to learn which department needs to be contacted to solve our problems of flooding," rues Sudha Ravikumar, a resident of a Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) layout in Ward 73.

This comes after the numerous tiring experiences that several residents of the layout have faced at the hands of authorities at the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). Many complain that the two civic bodies keep passing the buck and hardly ever solve the problem of flooding in the area.

Residents of at least 50 houses in the layout are apprehensive of rainy days. Water from manholes and tertiary storm water drains overflow and floods the houses.

"As the surrounding areas developed, the sewage connections for those areas were diverted to the storm water and sewage drains in our area. These drains cannot bear the load and they overflow," A.K. Varadhan, president of Residents' Welfare Association, said.

The squads set up by the BMP to deal with rain-related emergencies had been useless as they sought advice from the residents as to how to deal with the flooding, he said.

"When it rains, dirty water seeps into our sumps. We have to pay at least Rs. 300 to get the sumps cleaned every time it rains," said Saraswathi Visveswaran, a resident.

The layout, just off the Airport Road, is a low-lying area, with surrounding localities such as Anandpura, Sudhamnagar, Nanja Reddy Colony, Kullappa Colony and Shivanna Colony situated at a higher level, some up to a maximum of eight feet. "Low-lying area seems to be the excuse that the authorities give when residents ask the reason for flooding in the area," the residents said.

In front of several houses, there were pools of rainwater and sewage. It is evident that these small drains have not been cleared in the past few months as snakes and fish have started to breed inside.

Though the BMP replaced the stone slabs over the culverts in the area with concrete recently, residents claimed that the culverts had not been cleaned since then.

The main storm water drain serving the area receives copious flow of sewage from the adjoining Anandpura slum. Asked about this, BWSSB Assistant Executive Engineer G. Prabhakar said that it was rainwater and not sewage that was flowing into the storm water drain.

However, sewage continues to flow from several vents. There were encroachments on the storm water drain and also accumulation of silt in the drain.

"After facing the problem for so many years, we now know that the level of the storm water drain need to be raised, sewage pipes should be replaced and outlets should be provided to two drains from other layouts," said Ellen Sarojamma, a resident.

Instead, the authorities send only workers who break the manhole and let sewage flow into the storm water drain, she claimed.

The BMP said it had taken up remodelling of the storm water drain near the layout. The BWSSB also said that a new pipeline being laid in the adjoining area would solve the eight-year-old problem within a week. For this, the BWSSB has dug up one of the three approach roads to the area.

BMP Joint Commissioner (East) N. Jayaram said, "The BMP has done its best. If more needs to be done, we will do it."

But a resident Kulkarni said, "We live in a BDA slum, not a BDA layout."