Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said Bengaluru City has received unprecedented rainfall this monsoon season, which was highest in the last 90 years, and the IT corridor has been under rainwater owing to overflow of tanks and illegal encroachments and constructions of buildings, particularly in Mahadevapura ward of the City.
“See Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, received unprecedented heavy rains this year, which it had not received for the last 90 years. All the tanks are full and they are overflowing and some tanks are breached. There is continuous rain. It is raining every day,” the Chief Minister told presspersons.
Small area, many tanks
Noting that entire Bengaluru has not been facing problems, Mr. Bommai said, “Basically two zones, particularly the Mahadevapura zone, is facing problems because there are 69 tanks in the small areas and tanks have breached and overflowing. Secondly, all the establishments are located in the low-lying areas, and thirdly, encroachments are rampant.”
Mr. Bommai blamed the Opposition Congress for the situation and said, “The bad administration and granting of permission for construction of buildings on the encroached lands by the previous Congress government is the major reason for flooding of the city areas.”
The State and City administration would take up rain-related issue as a challenge. “The officers, including engineers and workers, will work round the clock for clearing encroachments,” he said. “We will take it up as a challenge. Our offices, engineers, and our SDRF team will work 24/7. We cleared a lot of encroachments and we are continuing that.” The government has also decided to install sluice gates for tanks for better management of water and tanks, Mr Bommai said.
On the rain battered IT parks in the City, Mr. Bommai said, “This has happened because of maladministration and unplanned administration of the previous Congress government. They gave permissions for constructions left, right and centre. They (Congress) government had never thought of maintaining lakes.”
Stating that his government had given ₹1500 crore for clearing storm water drains in the City, Mr Bommai said, “Yesterday I announced release of ₹300 crore to deal with the current rain situation as well as the maintenance of basic infrastructure in Bengaluru.”
Pumping station
Mr. Bommai said the Bheemeshwara river entered the pump house at Thorekadanahalli (T.K. Halli) in Mandya district and the drinking supply of water to the city will be affected for two days.
Two pumping stations, from where the Cauvery water is pumped out to Bengaluru, were submerged. The flood water has been removed from one pumphouse which is expected to resume water supply (330 MLD) to the City today. Another 550 MLD would get ready today evening, he said.
Borwells
The Chief Minister said as a contingency plan has been made to ensure drinking water for residents of Bengaluru. The BWSSB and the BBMP have been directed to charge the 8,000 and 4,000 borewells which come under their jurisdiction, respectively, and supply water to residential layouts.
The authorities have also been told to utilise water tankers to supply drinking water for residents in rain battered areas. The chief minister appealed to the residents to cooperate with the city administration during these hours of unprecedented rains and crisis.
Central team
Meanwhile, Central team would arrive in the State tonight to assess the rain related damages to crops, infrastructure, houses. The damage to the city infrastructure would be discussed with the team.
