Karnataka to take merciless action against properties blocking flow of rainwater

A day after many areas here were inundated due to heavy rain and breached lake bunds, the Karnataka government on Wednesday decided to "mercilessly" remove properties blocking rainwater flow.

Published on: Sep 1, 2022, 08:39:52 IST

PTIPosted by Yamini C S

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A day after many areas here were inundated due to heavy rain and breached lake bunds, the Karnataka government on Wednesday decided to "mercilessly" remove properties blocking rainwater flow.

Bengaluru city saw severe waterlogging after relentless rain, which flooded several roads and disrupted vehicular movement. (HT Photo)

Also read: Bengaluru rains: Social media flooded with severely waterlogged videos

“Our Municipal Corporation officers have identified 10 bottlenecks. In a day or two, the demolition drive will start. We have told the officers to be merciless while implementing the drive without attending to any phone calls," Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka told reporters after a high-level meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, on the flood situation.

He said the Disaster Management Act permits "merciless removal" of blocks causing water stagnation. Chief Minister Bommai said there was waterlogging in many residential layouts because the developers did not build a proper drain. He added that all such blocks would be removed.

Also read: B’luru records highest single-day rain in Aug since 1890: IMD

“Tomorrow (Thursday), I will visit all those places where the problem occurred and give directions,” Bommai said. He said the State government has released ₹1,500 crore for the construction of drains.

Also read: CM Basavaraj Bommai to visit flood affected areas in Bengaluru on Thursday

The Chief Minister said the tender process has been completed and the work would start immediately. There was continuous rain in the past six months and heavy downpour in the last three months.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More