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Sidda inspects storm water drains ahead of monsoon
CM Siddaramaiah said that a special cell will be set up in the civic bodies - BBMP and BDA - to maintain roads in Bengaluru and fill up potholes immediately
Ahead of the monsoon, chief minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday inspected the storm water drains in the city and warned the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) chief engineer of suspension if the issue is not solved.
The CM along with deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, key ministers and officials various parts of the city, including the BBMP, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), and the health department, conducted inspections in the city after taking a special permission from the Election Commission due to the model code of conduct (MCC) for Lok Sabha elections in place.
While inspecting the ongoing work near the Gaali Anjaneya temple on the Bengaluru-Mysuru road, Siddaramaiah asked the officials concerned to address the flooding issues near the temple. He also announced the decision to construct an additional storm water drain parallel to the existing one to improve rainwater flow. He pointed out that the height of the walls near the temple are is not sufficient to prevent excess water from spilling onto the road.
In response to reports of rainwater entering homes in the Bommanahalli assembly seat, the chief minister directed officials to pump overflowing water from storm water drains into the nearby Madiwala Lake.
Siddaramaiah warned the BBMP chief engineer of potential suspension if a permanent solution to the flooding issue isn’t found promptly.
He further said that a special cell will be set up in the civic bodies - BBMP and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) - to maintain roads in Bengaluru and fill up potholes immediately.
During the inspection, silt removal activities were also assessed at various locations, including Nayandahalli junction, Ragigudda in JP Nagar, Anugraha Layout, and Silk Board junction. While planned visits to Agara Lake, Yamalur Lake, and Bellandur Lake were canceled, attention was directed towards widening the Rajakaluve near Nayandahalli, where the drain’s width had been reduced due to flyover construction.
The chief minister stressed the need to remove dead branches of trees to prevent accidents and instructed the clearance of debris obstructing pavements. Progress on the Namma Metro project at Silk Board junction was reviewed, with directives issued for incorporating innovative designs, such as double-decker flyovers, at other locations.
He announced plans to widen the rainwater drain at Silk Board-Hosur Road, with a proposal of ₹4.5 crore to be presented at the next high-level committee meeting. He also directed officials to expedite the filling of 5,500 potholes within the BBMP jurisdiction within a month.
“According to a census by the Bengaluru city corporation, in ward roads there are 5,500 potholes, and in arterial and sub-arterial roads there are 557 potholes. DK Shivakumar, who is in-charge of Bengaluru Development, and I have instructed the commissioner and the administrator (BBMP) to fill up all these potholes by the end of this month,” Siddaramaiah said after the city rounds.
In response to the flooding problem in Bengaluru’s streets and neighbourhoods, he ordered the clearing out of about 174 kilometres of blocked-up drainage channels. Bengaluru has roughly 860 kilometres of these drainage systems and, when he was the chief minister between 2013 and 2018, his administration successfully cleared 491km of them, he pointed out. However, the previous government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), only managed to clear 193 kilometres, he added.
Attacking the previous BJP-led state government, Siddaramaiah said: “Had the previous BJP government initiated steps to clear eviction of stormwater drains then the problem of flooding would have been solved.” He said that about 174km of stormwater drains need to be evicted in the city.
“To clear evictions of stormwater drains, 12 cases are pending in the civil court and steps would be initiated to appoint special advocates, if needed, to handle the cases expeditiously. For about 12.15 km there are cases pending in court,” he added.
Responding to the chief minister’s allegations, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said, “The chief minister’s city rounds is just a photo op.”
With PTI inputs
