Karnataka government plans to ban basement parking in flood-prone areas
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said the state government is working on a new regulation that will prohibit the construction of basement parking in vulnerable areas prone to waterlogging
As torrential rains continued to batter Bengaluru leaving several areas submerged, Karnataka’s top political leadership took stock of the situation on Wednesday and announced a series of measures aimed at tackling the city’s long-standing urban flooding issues. Among them was the ban on underground parking in low-lying areas.
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said the state government is working on a new regulation that will prohibit the construction of basement parking in vulnerable areas prone to waterlogging. “I am taking a policy decision that wherever there is a low-lying area, we will not allow underground parking facilities in future. We will allow them to build parking spaces at higher level, and any parking should be above ground and not underground, because we can see that more water is flowing into these places, leading to seepage,” he said during a visit to several flood-hit locations across the city.
He reiterated that the new rule is “more or less” at the last stage.
Shivakumar, who also handles the Bengaluru Development portfolio, visited several rain-affected zones along with chief minister Siddaramaiah and other senior leaders, including KJ George and Bhairathi Suresh. The team was accompanied by senior civic officials and engineers.
Following the site visits, Siddaramaiah addressed the media and outlined specific steps the administration is taking to prevent further damage. At Manyata Tech Park, he noted that encroachments were obstructing the stormwater drain (rajakaluve). “I have instructed to clear the encroachment immediately. The CEO of Manyata Tech Park has said that he will take steps to build a drain on his own road within 90 days and ensure smooth flow of water,” he said.
Highlighting systemic issues in urban planning and civic negligence, Siddaramaiah pointed out that several encroachments along stormwater drains have worsened flooding in areas like HBR Layout and Sai Layout. “We have instructed them to complete the barrier wall work in HBR Layout soon,” he said, adding that in Sai Layout, the problem stems from a narrow vent near the railway bridge. “Funds have already been provided for the construction and widening of vents, and instructions have been given to complete the work as soon as possible. BBMP has been instructed to release a total of ₹13 crore for this,” he added.
In Mahadevapura’s Panattur Garden, where water regularly floods homes during monsoons, Siddaramaiah noted that only 20% of the work remains and instructed officials to finish it within 45 days using trenchless technology. Meanwhile, flooding at Silk Board Junction was traced to water flow converging from four directions, with the Chief Minister urging Metro, BBMP and National Highways officials to coordinate and come up with a comprehensive solution.
On compensation, Siddaramaiah assured relief for families affected by flood damage in areas like Gurappanapalya. “Immediate compensation will be provided to all the victims whose houses have been damaged due to water entering. I have instructed to immediately conduct a survey of the damage and provide compensation,” he said.
He also announced that construction in basements in low-lying areas will no longer be allowed and that 166 sensitive and very sensitive low-lying zones have already been identified for precautionary action.
Citing rainfall statistics, the CM said Bengaluru had received 299 mm of rainfall in 2022, the second-highest in the last decade. On May 19 alone, the city recorded 132 mm of rain overnight. “We expected that such types of rain would come... two deaths occurred accidentally due to electrocution, as they tried to operate the motor. Yesterday, I visited the families,” added Shivakumar.
Siddaramaiah also shared progress on Rajakaluve development: of the total 860 km length, lining work on 491 km has been completed, and 125 km is under construction, to be completed within three months. For the remaining 173 km, a ₹2,000 crore World Bank loan has been secured, and tenders have been finalised. “We have given clear instructions to clear the encroachers without delay, no matter how influential they are,” he said.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday downgraded its forecast for Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, and Dakshina Kannada from “very heavy” to “heavy” rainfall.
“Now, the red alert remains only for Uttara Kannada. Although a couple of places may still see very heavy rainfall, the alert is more about the impact. Due to continuous heavy rainfall, the soil is saturated and may lead to landslides,” said Latha Sridhar, D-category scientist at the IMD Bengaluru Centre.
