Civic bodies brace up for monsoon

Civic bodies brace up for monsoon
DH News Service,Bangalore:
Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 12:00 [IST]

With the signs of onset of monsoon in the City, Bangaloreans now have to brace up to face the fury accompanying heavy rains.

Waterlogging, flooded roads and overflowing manholes are some of problems that the City has been facing year after year.
The damage wreaked by rains is still afresh in the money of residents of many low-lying areas. Ashtalakshmi Layout, Puttenahalli, Vaddarapallya, Bannur Bande, Bhadrappa Layout, Lottegondanahalli and Nayandanahalli bore the brunt of rain fury in 2008.
Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), however, claims to have already geared up to face the rainy season.
According to BWSSB Chief Engineer T Venkataraju, de-silting of manholes has already been started and jet machines will be kept ready for use in case of any requirement.

Overflowing manholes

Reacting to manholes overflowing during monsoons, Venkataraju said that people tend to slide open the manholes whenever there is heavy rain and the roads get flooded, to provide outlet for the gushing water. “However, along with water, silt and solid waste also get into manhole resulting in choking the drain, followed by overflow,” he explained.
Nevertheless, low-lying areas will get flooded if they are located below the level of main storm water drains (SWD). He further said that if the public maintain SWD without throwing solid waste into it and allowing a free flow of drains, waterlogging and flooding can be avoided.
On the other hand, the BBMP has prepared a contingency plan to meet any challenges. It has set up control rooms in all the four zones besides the Head Office at Hudson Circle.
All the control rooms will be having a team of employees from various departments like BBMP, BDA, BESCOM and BWSSB to meet any challenge. The moment there is a complaint, the teams would be rushed to the spot.
BBMP Commissioner Dr S Subramanya had reviewed the contingency plan, a month back and directed the zonal commissioners to prepare their contingency plans at their own level. He had directed the officials to set up a control room with round-the-clock service. In this regard the BWSSB and the BBMP have given 24-hour helpline number 22945240 or 22221188.