Repetitive complaints to the BBMP have yielded no results, as residents continue to live amidst the filth.
Clogged storm-water drains in Main Channel Road and Dassappa Road in Ulsoor has led to flooding of people’s houses in that area and business loss for shopkeepers.
A resident of the area, Sabu said, “If the rain comes there is no space for water to flow, it creates a huge problem for the public. Water enters our houses at times. If they create space for water to flow, then the situation will be good. We have many shops on these roads and water blockage causes problems for us. It also spreads diseases like Malaria, Typhoid & viral fever. We have often complained but no action has been taken till now.”
Garbage gets mixed with storm-water and leads to the clogging of storm-water drain lines. It accumulates in potholes and drains and dries out at a very slow pace giving rise to water-borne insects and paving the way for diseases like Dengue and Malaria.
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Assistant engineer, Chandra Shekhar blamed the residents and BWSSB for the situation. He said, “The culprit is Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) who illegally allow the sewage water to flow in the storm-water drains. The stormwater drains are filled throughout the year when they should only be filled in the rainy season. They have laid all the manholes inside the storm-water drains. The pipelines are also not constructed properly. The residents also throw all kinds of garbage on the roads which mix with storm-water and hence lead to clogging.”
As per BBMP guidelines, a city drain can only sustain 45 mm of water per hour. In the rainy season, the drains are not able to handle the heavy volume of water. This leaves no space for the water to drain out causing flooding on the roads.
The Senior Head of the Civil Engineering Department of Raja-Rajeshwari College, Dr. Ramesh said, “There is no system of proper drainage in that area. The government also doesn’t clean it properly. There is a lack of necessary measures to deal with the problem from the government. To improve the situation the waste should be treated properly. The storm-water drain should be managed properly so that it doesn’t get clogged.”
However, the lack of maintenance of the storm-water drains has impacted the residents and shopkeepers severely and has lead to calls for revised strategies and proper implementation.
BBMP said, “We have installed control centers that are well equipped with necessary tools in 8 zones. We have also talked to government hospitals to keep available medicines for common water-borne diseases all the time.”
