BBMP adopts preventive steps to tackle monsoon woes

BBMP adopts preventive steps to tackle monsoon woes

Special Correspondent
Prominent citizens to serve as a link between BBMP and people
BBMP to publish booklet containing information on contingency plan

It will have officials’ phone numbers, office and residential addresses



R. Ashok
BANGALORE: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike will implement a contingency plan comprising a range of preventive steps to check damage to public and private property due to rain apart from suffering to the common people during the monsoon.

Briefing presspersons after a high-level meeting with senior officials of the BBMP, the Bangalore Development Authority and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board here on Monday, the Minister for Transport and district in-charge of Bangalore, R. Ashok, said the contingency plan will be implemented immediately.

The services of prominent citizens in all the 100 wards of the BBMP will be coopted to serve as a link between the personnel of the BBMP and the people who require immediate support during a heavy downpour. The scheme has been titled “Samparka Bandhu”.

The BBMP will publish a booklet containing all information pertaining to the contingency plan with particular reference to the officials who could be contacted in the event of an emergency.

Phone numbers (both landline and mobile phone), office and residential addresses of all officials concerned and those of the prominent citizens will be published.

The officials (assistant engineers and support staff) have also been directed to visit the areas in their jurisdiction in the event of heavy rain and extend support to the people even if they do not receive a call seeking help.

Serious action will be initiated against those who fail to discharge their assigned duty.

Yet another important decision taken at the meeting is the introduction of night rounds for the municipal corporation officials.

Similar to the night rounds of the city police, a joint commissioner of the BBMP will be on rounds (by rotation) every night.

He will be the overall in-charge of the city by night, particularly in providing the emergency requirements. There are 10 BBMP zones with each zone under the direct charge of a joint commissioner.

Wireless handsets have been provided to the personnel concerned and 10 emergency control rooms have been set up in the zones concerned.

Mr. Ashok said each zone will be provided with adequate equipment, including electric saw machines, jetting machines (to pump out water) and vehicles for the BBMP personnel to move around.

The authorities have identified at least 10 community centres in each BBMP zone to shift the people in the event of a heavy downpour resulting in the submergence of their dwelling units.

Arrangements have been made to provide food to the people in such relief centres.

“There is no need for the Government to step in at every stage. All steps have been taken to provide immediate relief,” he said. The authorities have identified 196 problematic areas due to water-logging in the city and a close watch on all these areas will be maintained during heavy rain.

Meanwhile, directions have also been issued to the BBMP and the BDA to remove all encroachments on roadside drains and the main storm-water drains.

According to information provided to the Government, nearly 80 per cent of such encroachments have been removed and the process is on to remove the remaining.

Encroachments alongside and on the storm-water drains result in rainwater flooding low-lying areas during incessant rain.

On the implementation of the Akrama-Sakrama scheme (to regularise unauthorised structures), Mr. Ashok said it will take more time as there were several legal hurdles.

The Government is also thinking of bringing forth amendments to municipal legislation to facilitate the implementation of the regularisation scheme.