Local task forces to keep Bengaluru safe during monsoon

Karnataka government has ordered the BBMP to set up a task force in every assembly constituency to deal with monsoon-related issues and use high-pressure motors to pump floodwater out of underpasses.

On Thursday, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and senior ministers held a review meeting with BBMP officials to gauge the preparedness for the southwest monsoon, which is just days away from arriving in Bengaluru. Late afternoon, several parts of the city received heavy rains.

During the rainy season, many low-lying areas get flooded as rainwater overwhelms the city's heavily silted 842-kilometre stormwater drain network. The same is the case with the poorly designed underpasses.

BBMP officials briefed the chief minister that a total of 209 flood-prone places have been identified across the city, of which 58 are severely vulnerable and 151 moderately vulnerable.

As per the documents submitted to the chief minister, Bommanahalli Zone has the most severely vulnerable places (12), followed by Mahadevapura (11). The officials assured to complete the monsoon preparatory works by the end of June.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Revenue Minister R Ashoka said: "We have directed the BBMP to use high-pressure motors to drain underpasses. A task force will be set up in every assembly constituency to exclusively oversee the monsoon preparations and attend to distress calls from citizens. The task force will be provided with required vehicles, personnel and equipment to deal with rain-related emergencies. A 24X7 control room will be set up in every BBMP zone to attend to people's problems."

The dense clouds that had engulfed many parts of Bengaluru since Thursday morning gave way to a thunderstorm towards the evening. The rain pounded several parts of North, East and South Bengaluru until late night, pausing only for a short while in the evening.

Areas that received heavy rains included Shivajinagar, Indiranagar, Halasuru, Rajajinagar, Basaveshwara Nagar, Vijayanagar, Mahalakshmi Layout, Malleswaram, Yeshwantpur, Banashankari. Bommanahalli and Kengeri. Trees and branches were reported to have been uprooted at Vijayanagar, Hebbal and Malleswaram.

At a few traffic intersections, barricades set up by the police to check vehicles during the ongoing lockdown were carried away by the movement of rainwater.

The BBMP sent quick response teams to pump water from roads and underpasses.