Culverts, wider drain pipes to prevent flooding on Outer Ring Road

Vasudha Zora | NT

Bengaluru: Measures are underway to provide certain fixes to prevent a repeat of August 30 flooding near RMZ Ecospace technology park on the Outer Ring Road (ORR). Traffic on the whole stretch had come to a halt as the water had reached waist levels, and it took a few days to restore nomalcy.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) now plans to build a channel across the ORR which could ease the water flow. As per sources, close to Rs 12 crore has been sanctioned for the BBMP stormwater drain department (SWD) to assemble culverts in the area.

The authorities want a speedy tender approval for the culvert to be built across the ORR near the RMZ Ecospace to the Maruthi Showroom on the opposite side. Clement Jayakumar from Mahadevapura task Force- Jal Shakti spoke about the interventions being carried out.

He said Ecospace IT Park has two Rujakaluves running on either side, which halts at ORR as there are three pipes which cross the ORR approaching the drain on the side of the road to finally join the next rajakaluve which is on the opposite side. But the existing pipes are not enough to carry huge volumes of water during heavy rains.

They will be replaced by new 1.2 m diameter pipes which would be connected to rajakaluve up till JW Marriott campus. He added that the BBMP’s storm water drain department will come up with a permanent solution for flooding and another culvert will be constructed in order to reach the Bellandur Canal, in order to prevent flooding in surrounding areas.

The BBMP plans on completing a temporary stop gap project in a six-month timeline and to note observations from the upcoming flooding. In an inspection that was carried out for RMZ Ecospace and around the ORR, it was discovered that the major reason for the flooding was the small diameter pipes which were laid out close to 20 years ago by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).

These pipes were inadequate to handle huge volumes of rain water and so the BBMP has come up with a temporary establishment to maintain easy flow of the collected rain water. As per sources the temporary works were completed on October 16 and currently the restoration of the road is being addressed. However, the recent wet spell has slowed down the work.