CM Bommai visits rain-affected areas in B'luru, announces key decisions to address woes

Development of valleys, desilting of drains, removing of bottlenecks and encroachment, increasing the number and capacity of sewage treatment plants (STPs) across the city are some of the measures announced by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to address the problems faced by rain-battered Bengaluru.

The Chief Minister along with MLAs and Ministers from the city and officials on Thursday visited several rain-affected areas like J C Nagar, Nagavara, HBR layout, Hebbal and STP plants there to personally assess the situation.

Several areas were flooded and houses were inundated in many parts of the city following the torrential rain that lashed Bengaluru on Tuesday night and incessant rains thereafter.

”There has been a very heavy rainfall within a very short period of time, this has happened for the first time after nearly forty to fifty years. In some places it was 100 mm and has also gone up to 120 mm in some areas. According to an estimate, the rain that should have happened in the entire May month happened in just about four to five hours,” Bommai told reporters after the visit.

Stating that this had resulted in inundation of low-lying areas of the city, he said, these issues during the rains have been persisting in the city for three to four decades now, and despite all efforts to address it, the growth that Bengaluru is witnessing is adding to the woes.

”To address the issues, valley wise complete development of six to seven valleys running through the city will be taken up and DPR has been prepared for it. Rs 1,600 crore has been approved for it at the initial stage, and the work will be taken up very shortly,” he added.

Noting that over Rs 400 crore has been approved for removal of silt, bottlenecks, blockages and damages, Bommai said desilting work of main or primary drains and secondary and tertiary drains in nearby areas has to be taken up immediately, and directions have been issued in this regard.

Approval has also been given for increasing the capacity of STP plants and increasing their numbers, he said, adding instructions have also been given for remodelling of bridges along Vrishabhavathi valley aimed at facilitating free flow of water.

Highlighting that water has been pumped out from most of the houses and localities that were inundated, the Chief Minister said, BBMP, home guards, civil defence and engineers among others staff have been working round the clock.

All illegal structures along the main drains will be removed as decided, he said, the compensation of Rs 25,000 to those whose houses were flooded will be disbursed from today itself through DBT along with arrangements of food, ration and other basic amenities.