The shops in the beef market at Shivajinagar have been shut for over a week due to the overflow of stormwater drains. The shop owners are facing loses.
Shops in the beef market area have been closed for more than a week because of the overflowing of the drains nearby. The stormwater drains (SWD) are clogged because of garbage that is dumped into the drains. The shop owners are facing business loses.
Mohammad Farooq, a leather trader said, “I haven’t opened my shop for the last 5 days due to this drainage water, we face this problem very frequently, a little rainwater causes clog of water everywhere on the streets and enters to the shops. The corporation hardly looks into this issue”.
Plastic waste from the market clogs the drains causing rainwater to accumulate on the street. Customers find it unhygienic to buy anything from the shops there.
A food and beverage seller, Amritamma described the situation, “This place is so dirty because of this dirty water clogging, I myself clean it every day anyhow but no one comes to my stall to buy anything, this is my only source of income, I have complained several times but nobody bothers about it”.
BBMP says that they are in the process of desilting all stormwater drains. They are required to complete the work order within 45 days of work (including monsoon days) and fix the drain slab as well as the drains.
BBMP official at Shivajinagar, Shiva Gowda said, “The drains of that area are old enough, waste clogs the drains. We have received several complaints from the shopkeepers and are trying to solve it soon.”
AS per the budget, the total amount sanctioned for the SWD is around 5.3 crores.
Suresh Kumar, an urban planner at SV Consultants, says, “It is the dirty water mixed with wastage that clogs the drainage, it should be maintained regularly to avoid unhygienic condition”
BBMP has taken steps to repair old SWDs in the zonal phase and tackle the clog of wastes into the drains during monsoons.
