Bengaluru is ‘terminally ill’, network of drains disrupted, says expert

NT Correspondent

 Bengaluru

As Bengaluru continues to reel under issues like waterlogging and overflow of lakes caused by heavy rains, News Trail spoke to experts on the factors contributing to the flooding of certain vulnerable pockets in the city.

 Bengaluru-based Architect and Urbanist Vaidehi Raipat attributed the issues to unplanned land use zoning. “Development of concrete infrastructure in valley regions has made them impermeable to rainwater. Other factors include the poor design of slopes and concreting of roads as both lead to decreased percolation,” she said.

 V Ravichandar, civic expert and Honorary Director of Bangalore International Centre, termed the city as ‘terminally ill’ and blamed it on decades of apathy. “Failing to respect nature’s contours and growth beyond the carrying capacity are the main factors responsible for the recent incidents of flooding,” he said.

According to him, the combination of several lapses in maintaining the stormwater drains and their network has resulted in such a state. “Rajakaluves have been narrowed due to encroachment.

 The network of drains has also been disrupted. Administrative initiatives and political will in reviving the network is the need of the hour,” he said.

 With regard to the design of roads, Ravichandar called for an update in the fundamental planning. “Our roads and surfaces have more concrete and are less porous.

 Moreover, they are being planned considering the peak rainfall values of the 1960s which was about 75 mm/hour. Now, the peak rainfall value in the city is about 120 mm/hour and engineers need to bear this in mind while planning,” he added.

 “All over the world, the norm is for water to drain away from the roads in 20 minutes. However, that has not happened here,” he said.

The stretch of the Outer Ring Road in Bellandur was flooded for about 48 hours. Water had still not receded completely in Rainbow Drive even on Thursday. On Wednesday, a senior citizen in the area died after suffering a heart attack. The 86-year-old could not be shifted to a hospital as the area remained flooded.