Video series shows there’s more to Bengaluru floods than encroachment

Defining the problem is key and it is important to focus on 'why the city flooded' rather than 'who to blame'

While many attributed the recent floods to encroachment of stormwater drains, the disaster’s origins could be traced to the city’s history, elevation, gradient, and location of some areas.

Founder of ‘Bengaluru Walks’ Arun Pai, a resident of the city, produced a video series analysing the deeper reasons for the recent floods.

Speaking to DH, Arun said that defining the problem is key and it was important to focus on “why the city flooded” rather than “who to blame”.

“I believe that understanding the history, culture, and the city’s relationship with rain and water is crucial to understanding the floods. Bengaluru is very different from other major cities in this regard (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata), and I wish to bring out that aspect (through the video series),” he said.

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Elevation determines why only some areas flood and others do not. The city map portraying different levels of elevation showed that High Grounds is the city’s highest point at 945 m and Varthur at the lowest of 865 m. This clearly shows that rainwater would eventually flow to the low-lying areas.

The city’s topographical map shows valleys and the direction in which water would flow. The map showing the city’s built-up areas reveal most settlements were on the ridge and away from the valleys in the 1990s. But the city began expanding over the years and structures came up in the valleys.

“This is why the location matters,” Arun said. “Water has memory, and it follows its path. When we stand in its way, floods are obvious.”

This explains why Mahadevapura was impacted more than the other areas. “Mahadevapura is in a valley with high grounds on three sides, making it vulnerable,” Arun explained in one of the videos.

Adding that the city has numerous slides due to its uneven surface, Arun said the gradient plays a crucial role. “Gradients matter because it affects the speed at which water flows down. Especially when there are heavy rains, it decides how quickly water flows downstream,” he said.