Mayor blames NHAI's 'unscientific' work for Vrishabhavathi wall collapse

A day after a retaining wall along Vrishabhavathi River collapsed, authorities have started the blame game, brushing aside shoddy work executed by a contractor.

Visiting the place where a major portion of the retaining wall was washed away near Mylasandra on Mysuru Road, Mayor M Goutham Kumar on Friday blamed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the unscientific work.

“The retaining wall was built about 15-20 years ago. The BBMP hadn’t taken up any work in recent times,” Kumar said after inspecting the site.

The NHAI, which widened the road, had just reinforced the existing wall, without scientifically checking its strength. As a result, only a spell of heavy rain was enough to wash it away, he added.

Meanwhile, senior BBMP officials blamed the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) for blocking the water path with medians to construct pillars and thereby causing waterlogging and the collapse of the wall due to seepage.

However, BBMP Commissioner B H Anil Kumar chose not to blame anyone and said heavy inflow into Vrishabhavathi was responsible for the wall collapse.

“We will place sandbags along the road for the time being and divert the water flow. Hence, even if there is an increase in the level of water, it should not create any further damage,” the commissioner said. “We will hold a meeting with BBMP, NHAI and BMRCL officials to find an appropriate solution,” he said.