As Bengaluru floods again, BBMP goes for 'monkey's cheek'

When most Bengalureans were deep asleep on Wednesday night, rainwater gushed into hundreds of homes in different parts of the city, destroying household items. Many houses remained underwater as late as Thursday afternoon.

Around 60 locations, including stretches on the IT hub, were waterlogged, BBMP’s conservative estimate showed. Southern and eastern parts of the city were worst affected. At least three roads caved in.

Also Read: Easy to blame rain, but check work quality: Experts to BBMP

With parts of the city flooding even after moderate rains, BBMP is considering adopting the ‘monkey’s cheek’ solution (underground floodwater retention basins) in low-lying areas. One such underground tank that’s capable of storing excess rainwater may come up in HSR Layout.

But the proposal of building a retention basin is yet to reach the conceptual stage. The civic body is currently remodelling stormwater drains at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore provided by the government.

BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said only two solutions could mitigate the flooding of low-lying areas. "One is to build excess water retention tanks and another is to create an underground pipeline to drain out the water wherever the level permits," he said.

The second solution, he said, is difficult to execute because it requires digging roads and can also cause other problems. "The underground retention tank is doable. Countries such as Japan, South Korea and the Philippines have built monkey's cheeks to absorb rainwater and let it out when the rain recedes. These tanks can be built in parks by covering the top. We will take it up in HSR Layout," he said.

The World Bank has extended support to address the problem of flooding in Bengaluru. "We will also take up the proposal with the bank's representatives for suggestions," he added.