In Hennur, residents, motorists pay for Palike's incompetence

In Hennur main road, residents fear their homes will collapse during heavy rainfall while motorists shudder at the thought of commuting.

The low-lying area has a shoddy drainage system and the approaching Hennur main road has not been asphalted in the last five years. Residents and motorists say the area gives them nightmares. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) did take up asphalting the road, but never completed it. Similar is the case in the surrounding areas.

“The BBMP, on the pretext of asphalting the stretch from Hennur Cross towards Hennur village, laid jelly stones three months ago. But it has not tarred the stretch till date. After it rained heavily in the last couple of days, jelly stones were scattered all over. It is common to see drains overflowing during rains,” said Muniraju N, secretary of Hennur Residents’ Welfare Association.

Hennur main road is an approach road that connects to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) and is used by motorists to reach Bellary Road, Devanahalli and other areas.

The executive engineer of HBR Layout ward blames the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) for causing the mess. The BBMP’s Major Public Works Committee members, on the other hand, said that they would soon prepare an estimate and draw an action plan to fill potholes and asphalt the Hennur main road.

Meanwhile, residents of Byraveshwara Layout near Hennur lament the loss of their household items during the recent flash floods. Susheela A N, wife of a retired BBMP official, said: “Our television set, kitchen items, furniture, car and electronic goods were damaged in the heavy rainfall on October 8. There was about four feet of water inside our house.”

Residents maintained that since the layout is low-lying, water from the surrounding areas enters the locality, flooding their houses.

“The drains are not linked to a nearby Storm Water Drain (SWD). The problem can be solved by setting up an approach link from the drains to an SWD,” said Ramaiah HM, a resident.

Home Minister and Sarvagnanagar MLA, K J George, inspected the area a week ago but no permanent solution has been sought till date. In Chikkana Garden, Papanna Layout and many surrounding areas, dirty water flows into open gutters in the absence of a proper drainage system.

On Tuesday, engineers of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and the BBMP visited Byraveshwara Layout and assured the residents that an approach link would be soon set up that would connect to SWD.