Bengaluru: For the residents of Kapila Road in Yelachanahalli, this monsoon has left them marooned. The retaining wall of the storm water drain near their locality has collapsed and during the recent showers rain water mixed with sewage flooded their home and adjoining areas. They have been trying to contact the ward corporator and BBMP officials, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
“The BBMP is playing a joke on us right? It ought to be,” says an angry Raghav, as he looked at the mess in front of his house on Kapila Road in Yelachanahalli. Rain water mixed with sewage forms a pool right outside his gates, while garbage floats through the stream of dirty water. Looking helpless and desperate, he decides to wait patiently for the BBMP emergency squad to pump the water out.
The recent rains may have brought relief after this year’s sweltering summer, but the showers have also brought a deluge of woes. If those in slums and near rajakaluves have been the worst hit, those enjoying the rains from their cozy homes too have woken up to a nightmare in the last few days. “The sight outside my home almost reminded me of the Chennai floods,” said Shalini, Raghav’s wife.
Like their neighbours, Raghav’s family spent three sleepless nights after the retaining wall of a storm water drain in the vicinity of their house collapsed. The excessive rains not only took a toll on slum-dwellers living close to the drain, but even those in the surrounding roads.
“The inefficient ways of garbage management has worsened the situation. Garbage was not collected from the past 15 days and trash heaps were strewn all across the area. The pourakarmikas don’t collect garbage and as a result even segregated garbage is mixed up. When they turn up after a fortnight, the garbage is all mixed up and they again refuse to pick up,” says Shalini.
While the residents have been trying to contact the ward corporator and BBMP officials concerned, none have tried to address their woes, says Raghav. Meanwhile, Ramesh, another resident, points out that even online complaints on BBMP helpline portal ‘Sahaaya’ have failed to get officials’ attention.
“Why waste taxpayers’ money if they can’t run an online portal efficiently? We assume contacting them would get easier with the help of technology, but it’s an easy way out for them to become non-responsive,” says Ramesh.
The residents rue that the already existing infrastructure problems with roads and footpaths have doubled after the rains, but the officials have been least concerned.
Drain will be desilted, wall repaired: Krishnappa, Bengaluru South MLA
Why did the BBMP not take measures to repair the storm water drain to prevent the collapse?
In the recent past, there has been excessive burden on the drain due to illegal encroachments and rampant growth of apartment complexes. The debris generated during Namma Metro works has also been dumped into the drain, which has further worsened the situation. Even before we could act, the retaining wall has come crashing down.
By when will the problem be resolved?
I have ordered the officials to start the repairs immediately and though it’s a band-aid solution, I hope there will be no more rain-related worries during this monsoon. In the next one week, the drain will be de-silted and repaired.
What is the permanent solution?
There are some garbage-related complaints and I have convinced the residents and officials to work in tandem. A proposal has been approved to rebuild the drain and funds for the same have been allocated. Hopefully, the next monsoon will not be so miserable.
