Bommai promises measures as rain pounds Bengaluru

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday announced the construction of sluice gates at Bengaluru’s lakes, reactivation of 8,000 borewells for water supply and a special ₹300 crore grant for the flood-hit city, which he admitted had no infrastructure to handle such heavy rainfall.

Bommai chaired a top-level meeting with ministers and officials to review the rain situation in Bengaluru and across the state.

Rains are likely to increase over the next four days, Bommai was told in the meeting.

“Between September 1 and 5, some places in Bengaluru have 100-150 per cent excess rainfall. In Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli and KR Puram, rainfall is 307 per cent excess. This is the highest in 40-42 years,” Bommai said.

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“Bengaluru’s 164 lakes are full. On top of that, there’s rainwater, leading to floods. These lakes don’t have a sluice gate, which is an important part of tank management to regulate the flow of water. We’ve decided that all big lakes in Bengaluru will get a sluice gate,” he said.

Bommai said the government has prepared a contingency plan for water supply in Bengaluru. “There are 8,000 borewells under the BWSSB. They will be reenergised and restarted to supply water to areas covered under Cauvery stage 3 and stage 4 (phase 2),” he said. “Where there are no borewells, tankers will be used.”

The government has authorised the release of ₹600 crore towards flood management. “Of this, ₹300 crore will be given to Bengaluru for construction of stormwater drains and roads wherever crucial,” Bommai said, adding that ₹1,500 crore has been earmarked for stormwater drains already and the works would start after the rains subside.

Reaching out to angry citizens, Bommai said officials are working day and night on a war footing.

“We didn’t prepare infrastructure in the city for this kind of rain,” he said. “I want to assure Bengaluru - we need your cooperation. We will face and fix this. Once rains stops, we will provide infrastructure wherever needed,” he said.

Bengaluru will get one more SDRF team for which Bommai approved Rs 9.5 crore. “For the entire state, two more SDRF teams comprising ex-military personnel will be formed,” he said.

Bommai pointed out that water bodies across the state are full. “Even drought-hit places like Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Chitradurga, Chamarajanagar, Kalaburagi, Bidar and Koppal have seen water tables go up,” he said.

Between September 1 and 5, Bommai said 5,092 people have taken shelter in relief camps. About 14,717 hectares have suffered crop loss and 430 houses are completely damaged. They will be compensated over and above the NDRF guidelines, Bommai said.

For the first time, Karnataka has decided to compensate shops and commercial establishments that suffer rain damages, Bommai said.