Students evacuated in boats after Friday rain floods PES

A day after the flooding incident at PES South Campus in Electronics City, water has receded by half, following a whole day’s struggle by workers.

Fire service personnel assisted in clearing the water from the six-acre campus.  Meanwhile, the Gram Panchayat authorities, local leaders and PES representatives set out to find a permanent solution for the problem.

On Friday, the PES management had to evacuate students from hostels in the wake of the flood.  Dramatic events ensued as fire services personnel got boats to ferry students out of the campus.

According to fire department officials, the water was up to four feet. By Saturday evening, they were able to flush it out by half.  “As of now, the situation is under control. We are withdrawing our services by Saturday evening,” a fire personnel said.

A meeting of all stakeholders is being convened on August 20, MLA M Krishnappa said.
“The water has stagnated for the last three or four years. I met the officials concerned on Saturday and discussed the issue. On Wednesday, we will do a spot inspection to trace the origin of the problem and explore whether any sewage treatment plants are responsible for the huge inflow of water.”

Why water-logging?

The PES (South Campus) faces the Electronics City flyover and is situated towards Rayasandra Lake (2 km away).  On the other side of the flyover is Electronics City Phase I and the Doddathoguru lake.

A stormwater drain (Rajakaluve) is linked from Doddathoguru lake to Rayasandra lake.
The drain passes through PES campus and continues through a private property behind.  After this is a road and the drain has to continue below the road on to the other side and from there flow into Rayasandra Lake.

It is alleged that the road behind PES campus is the original ‘Rajakaluve’ (according to maps), while the one passing through the campus is a branched out channel meant to flow into the Rajakaluve.

The vacant plot behind PES campus has been used by builders to dump construction debris. Also, property owners have blocked the drain with sand mounds.

As a result, flow of water was permanently blocked and following heavy rain, water swelled in the debris plot and overflowed into the institute's compound.

PES Institute of Technology Çhief Operating Officer Ajoy Kumar said, “It looks like a lake. But it is stagnated water as there is no exit point for the drain.”

Meanwhile, since the flood, the institute has dug a trench, ensuring water flow towards the Rayasandra Lake.

“We are looking at opening the campus on Monday. Electricity supply is back and sumps have to be cleaned,” the PESIT chief operating officer added.

More than 200 hostel students of the South campus have been shifted to the PES Hosakerehalli campus.
DH News Service