BBMP for Rs 300-cr project to end rain woes

The BBMP, which has woken up after heavy rains in the city, has announced a Rs-300-crore project to provide a permanent solution to rain-affected areas as a long-term plan.

The project will be placed before the next Cabinet meeting, Bengaluru Development Minister K J George said on Sunday.

“Due to heavy rain, areas such as HSR Layout and Koramangala were affected badly. Hence, we have taken up a Rs 300-crore project specially for these areas. This project will permanently solve the rain-related problems,” George told reporters. Heavy showers caused inundation and tree falls at several places in the city.

HSR Layout and Shanthinagar bus depot were the worst hit by the showers, he said. BBMP is planning to construct drainage structures in the Shanthinagar bus depot and dedicated projects are planned to avoid flood situations in HSR Layout, he said. “BBMP is ready to handle rain-related disasters. The control room, emergency works team, KSRP platoons, natural disaster management teams and forest department are ready to help citizens during heavy rain,” said Mayor G Padmavathi.

“The illegal encroachment of the rajakaluve (stormwater drain) by anyone, howsoever mighty the person may be, will face action. The case pertaining to film star Darshan’s house is in the court and I will not comment on that,” said N Manjunath Prasad, BBMP commissioner.

When asked about SWD work not being completed on time, George said it needed a lot of approvals from various departments. “It has taken time to get the DPR ready, call tenders, present it to the Cabinet and so on. For this reason, work started as late as May,” he said.

The BBMP has submitted a Rs 2-crore proposal to get robot multipurpose excavators for desilting and cleaning drains. “With the use of such machines, we will be able to complete desilting in vast areas faster,” said Manjunath Prasad.