Mysuru Road: BBMP shows no intent to fix flooding issues

Flooding of Mysuru Road continues to be an issue during the rains as water from surrounding areas, including the metro pillars, inundate the highway due to the absence of a drainage plan.

Videos of floating vehicles in the new expressway near Kumbalgodu has brought the issue to the focus again. Though the highway has been flooded for the third time in as many years, no extensive planning has been done to solve the issue that poses a huge risk to motorists.

In June 2020, parts of the retaining wall had collapsed unleashing gallons of water to wash away the road, while heavy rain flooded the under-construction road at several stretches last year.

“We had made a set of recommendations in 2020 but it has not been implemented,” a BBMP source said. “The sloping terrain between Bengaluru and Ramanagara border requires careful study of the carrying capacity of all the drains. It was recommended that no construction project, including residential, should be allowed before assessing its impact on the drains.”

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An official said the government must first clear the encroachments on the primary, secondary and tertiary drains connecting the Vrishabhavathi river. “Everyone becomes serious about flooding between June and September and forgets it by October. The government has all the data on the encroachment. Despite high court orders, nothing has been done to restore the drains,” he said.

Drains encroached

DH reviewed the Revenue Department’s maps and found that the highway cuts across major drains at three stretches — between Kambipura, Kumbalgodu and Hejjala. Giant buildings have encroached the drains at several places along the highway.

The maps also showed that the BDA’s flats at Kanaminake have encroached the drain completely. “Flooding of the road is the natural consequence of the encroachment,” said an official from the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority. “Any mitigation measure should involve restoring the drains to their full water-carrying capacity.”