All it takes is a moderate shower to send several parts of Bengaluru under water. It is the same story year after year with the BBMP assuring the citizens of its preparedness to tackle the monsoon, only to fall woefully short when the rains do arrive. The recent summer showers once again poked a hole in the BBMP’s claims, with many areas of the city being flooded and rainwater entering homes in low-lying areas. The eastern and northern parts of the city bore the brunt, with roads and underpasses becoming unmotorable due to water-logging. At Byrathi, off Hennur-Bagalur Road, water gushed into about 40 houses from a half-complete stormwater drain (SWD). The area around Siddaiah Road, which connects the central business district to the southern parts turned into a virtual pool. While the best-planned cities in the world can be flooded during a heavy deluge, even a short spell can lead to acute flooding in Bengaluru. This reflects both on the poor infrastructure and on the lackadaisical attitude of BBMP, which never learns from past experiences.
Last year, Brand Bengaluru took a severe beating when the rains, which usually punish the poor, entered the homes of the ultra-rich in some upscale localities. The BBMP blamed the rampant encroachment of SWDs for the flooding and launched a drive to tear down the encroachments. While the properties of the poor and middle class were demolished, the big fish -- the real culprits -- went scot-free. A few years ago, a public-spirited advocate, S Umesh, had obtained an order from the Karnataka High Court directing the BBMP to demolish all illegal structures on SWDs and file a monthly compliance report. BBMP engineers, who have time and again exhibited their contempt for the judiciary, ignored this order, too.
Flooding should not have been an issue at all in Bengaluru in the first place, given its natural contours which should have aided the draining of water to lakes. However, over the years, while the natural topography has been disturbed by unscientific planning and construction, most lakes which hitherto served as reservoirs have disappeared. The concretisation of roads has prevented percolation of water. The failure of BBMP to clear drains of silt deposits well before the onset of monsoon is another major factor that contributes to flooding. Over the years, BBMP officials have grown confident that they will not be held accountable for their failures since there are vested interests that will protect them. It’s time to send out a message to them. Else, we will have another season of flooding and loss of lives and property this monsoon.