BBMP plans chain-linked fencing for open drains

BBMP plans chain-linked fencing for open drains


The open drain which claimed the life of a four-year-old boy.
Faiza Haneef | ENS
26 Sep 2008 04:20:00 AM IST

BANGALORE: After turning a blind eye to several such instances in the past, the BBMP finally seems to have woken up, following Wednesday’s incident at Chandra Layout in which a fouryear- old boy lost his life after falling into a storm water drain. It now plans to cover the drains in the city, to prevent them from becoming death-traps.

Coming under severe public criticism, the BBMP swung into action on Thursday, to cover all open drains with chain-linked fencing to avoid such tragic incidents.

Deaths due to drowning in open drains is not new to Bangaloreans.

During the monsoon, quite a few children and also an entire family were washed away in these ‘black holes’. Despite announcing several measures to prevent such accidents, the BBMP had so far not done anything worthwhile.

“We have proposed to provide chain-linked fencing for all open drains across the city.

Because of the resistance from the public to the move earlier, the work had not progressed.

But now, with the increasing number of such incidents, BBMP will take up the work again,” said Additional Commissioner (South) Ramakrishna.

“Fencing work is expected to be completed in the next six months and this would help prevent recurrence of such incidents,” said Chikkarayappa, BBMP Chief Engineer, in charge of storm water drains.

Officials in BBMP caution against people walking on the retaining walls of these drains, as they may lose balance and fall into the drains.

PAST INCIDENTS

A one-year-old boy slipped and fell into a drain near Lottegollahalli off BEL Road in February this year.

A boy fell into an open drain and died at Banashankari 3rd Stage in February 2007.

Two eight-year-old girls were found dead in an open drain in Bhuvaneshwarinagar.

An old woman was washed away in a drain that was under construction in Hebbal.

Five years ago, a family of four was washed away in a storm water drain, when the car in which they were travelling was driven onto the adjacent footpath and it fell into the drain, during a heavy downpour. Their bodies were recovered a day later.