Unscientific planning has created Bengaluru's drainage woes: CM Basavaraj Bommai

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, on Monday, announced to call for a high-level meeting to draft a master plan to streamline Bengaluru’s drainage system.

The Chief Minister, who got off the by-election campaign trail, surprised officials by deciding to inspect the rain damage in city neighbourhoods in the south-eastern parts, including HSR Layout, Madiwala, Hosur Road and Silk Board Junction located around the Agara Lake.

After inspecting several major stormwater drains (SWDs) Bommai told media persons, “If the city is developed without scientific planning, these problems will continue to crop up. Therefore, I have directed the officials to draft a detailed master plan that caters to city’s equirements of the next 25 years.”

He noted bottlenecks in several main drains and found rainwater and sewage entering several houses and layouts in the lake’s vicinity.

The local residents and RWA representatives drew the attention of the chief minister that only 25 MLD treatment was happening at the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), prompting Bommai to direct the officials to fully utilize the 35MLD capacity.