JOIN UST he rains may have abated but the woes of the citizens are far from over. A recent report released by Centre for Ecological Sciences of Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has warned that Bengaluru is heading towards more floods, thanks to encroachment of lakes and storm water drains.
Bengalureans whose homes were flooded in the recent rain say that the authorities are doing nothing to prevent water logging.
Recounting his nightmarish experience a few weeks ago, Jashan Jeet Singh, a resident of J P Nagar, recollects that he woke up to knee-deep water inside the house during the rains.
“Most of the drainage systems in our area are unplanned. There is no space for water to drain out, thanks to the encroachments. Our house always gets flooded, every time there is heavy rainfall,” says Jashan, adding that there is an urgent need to decongest the city.
The residents of Krishnappa Garden in C V Raman Nagar say that their area gets flooded and drainage water gets mixed with drinking water whenever it rains.
Vinod Kaul, a resident of Krishnappa Garden near Bagmane Tech Park, points out that almost all the storm water drains in their vicinity have been encroached upon.
“The existing drains have narrowed down due to encroachments. Whenever the area gets flooded, drainage water enters the sump in our compound and renders it unfit for use,” says Vinod.
He also points out that stagnant water and dumping of garbage in storm water drains have increased the cases of Dengue in the vicinity.
“The authorities know about the encroachments but they do nothing about it,” he adds.
According to Dr T V Ramachandra of Energy and Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc, the city is experiencing unprecedented urbanisation and sprawl in recent times due to developmental activities with an impetus on industrialisation.
“This concentrated growth has resulted in an increase in population and consequent pressure
on infrastructure and natural resources, giving rise to serious challenges such as climate change,
enhanced green-house gases emissions, lack of appropriate infrastructure, traffic congestion, and lack of basic amenities like electricity, water, and sanitation in many localities,” says T V Ramachandra.
“The existing drains are unable to hold the increased quantity and speed of
water when the city gets flooded. This is due to encroachment which must be stopped immediately,” he adds.
It is the citizens who bear the brunt of unplanned urbanisation, feels Shruthi Reddy, a resident of
Hebbal. She says that environmental conservation and urbanisation must go hand in hand.
“You can’t mindlessly chop trees to make way for buildings and massive projects. The increased development has led to depletion of ground water and this has led to severe
water scarcity,” she says.
“The green cover in our city is disappearing at a fast pace and encroachments have become
the order of the day. The authorities should do everything to preserve our lakes and parks,” Shruthi adds.