Rafts to the rescue as Bengaluru residential complexes flooded again

B’luru on the edge: IMD continues with yellow alert for city, forecasts more rainfall

A waterlogged Marathahalli Ring Road on Tuesday morning. Credit: DH Photo/B K Janardhan

The rain fury in the city wasn’t confined to waterlogging on major roads. Rainwater from overflowing lakes and drains entered more than 100 homes in southern and southeastern Bengaluru.

Citizens were so desperate that they had to use rafts to navigate through the pool of water.

Residents of Rainbow Drive, a residential complex on Sarjapur Road, who earlier this month used tractors to move around their locality after a downpour, said the water levels had risen this time and the tractors were of no help.

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“At some places, the water level had gone up to seven feet and hence, even the tractors were not of much help. We had no option but to use rafts to move around,” said Anand, a resident of Rainbow Drive.

He added that the situation had worsened this time as Halanayakanahalli Lake was overflowing.

BBMP officials who had visited the area had promised to construct a new culvert near Sarjapur Road, which could help drain the water out.

The BBMP control room received complaints of flooding in Anugraha Layout near Bilekahalli where over 20 houses were inundated owing to overflowing stormwater drains.

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Over 35 houses in Gokul Nagar, over a dozen houses at Doddanekkundi, and a few houses at JP Nagar 5th Phase, Puttenahalli and HSR Layout 6th Sector also reported flood-like situations.

The underpass near the Binny Mill Circle and the flyover linking Manyata Tech Park to the Outer Ring Road also witnessed water stagnation for a short while, a BBMP official said.

Some of the affected apartments in Nallurahalli are DNA Eden View Apartment, Victoria View Layout, Jai Apartment, Sanjeevini Apartment, SS Facility Homes, and Srinivas Apartment.

Workers’ settlement

A pourakarmika settlement near BEML Layout also faced the brunt as over 200 temporary settlements were inundated by the rains. The families had to shift children and valuables to a nearby temple to survive.

“There are at least 200 settlements of pourakarmikas and construction workers. The water started entering our tents by 1 am. Most of the groceries have become wet,” said Bheemesh, a pourakarmika.

BBMP officials who visited the spot have provided them with temporary shelter.

Stormwater drain remodelling: Authorities draining money?

Authorities have spent thousands of crores on remodelling the city’s stormwater drain network but the flooding shows the money hasn’t been spent well. The BBMP says it has remodelled half of the 800 km of stormwater drains by building concrete walls around them.

The government is providing it with Rs 1,500 crore more to remodel another 175 km of drains. The works will include remodelling and reconstructing narrow culverts. Tenders have been finalised and sent to the government for approval. Work will start after the monsoon once the approval comes through.

But these concrete drains, which provide crucial links between lakes, have not been of help whenever there have been heavy rains. The BBMP has done little to clear encroachments that have narrowed down the stormwater drains in many places.