Power restored in Bengaluru's flood-hit Kendriya Vihar complex after one week: Report

Bengaluru's Bescom reconnected electricity to Kendriya Vihar after a week-long outage due to safety concerns over flooding.

After nearly a week without electricity, the Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) reconnected power to the Kendriya Vihar apartment complex on Tuesday evening, responding to persistent requests from residents. The initial power cut was a precautionary measure to encourage the evacuation of residents and mitigate potential dangers from flooding, the Deccan Herald reported.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel evacuate the residents of Kendriya Vihar from a flooded area in Bengaluru. (Pic for representation) (PTI)

Following the approval from the Fire Department, power was restored as 515 out of the complex's 603 families returned home. Last week, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bengaluru's civic administrative body, had sealed off the area for a week due to heavy rain forecasts, providing temporary housing in nearby hotels for those who needed it, the report stated.

Despite the return of electricity, concerns linger regarding the collapsed retaining wall that contributed to the flooding. Residents are urging the BBMP to prioritize the construction of a new retaining wall on both sides of the drainage system leading to Yelahanka Lake. They emphasized that the lake has three stormwater drain connections, as per the 1961 village map, and called for permanent solutions rather than temporary fixes, the report noted.

“Instead of proposing temporary solutions, the BBMP must restore these three drains,” residents said, as quoted in the publication.

In related developments, Yelahanka MLA S. R. Vishwanath recently visited the affected area during ongoing heavy rains, navigating through the flooded streets on a bulldozer. The region has been grappling with severe flooding, particularly in the Kendriya Vihar apartments, which have been identified as one of the worst-hit areas. Other neighbourhoods in Yelahanka have also experienced significant inundation, leaving many residents stranded for days after relentless rainfall.