CAG raps BBMP, BDA over 'unreliable' records on storm water drains

In a scathing indictment of the state of affairs in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and Bangalore Development Authority, the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) has pulled up the agencies for “inefficiency” in identifying and managing storm water drains (SWDs) in the city.

A performance audit report tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday criticised the agencies for lack of financial discipline, shoddy mapping of SWDs and tertiary drains, lack of documents related to various works taken up, failure to clear lake and SWD encroachments and “unfruitful” sewage diversion expenditure among others.

“There were discrepancies between the figures exhibited in the budget estimates and actual expenditure recorded in the cash book. This indicated the lack of reconciliation mechanism and correct reporting of expenditure and exposes the financial indiscipline reigning in BBMP,” the report said.

Moreover, the chief engineer, SWD, had not maintained basic records such as schedule of works expenditure, monthly accounts and register of advances, the report said.

Of the 1,988 encroachments identified by BBMP, 1,225 were declared to be removed. However, evictions were incomplete and did not improve the condition of drains. “The completeness and reliability of the data on encroachments available with BBMP was doubtful as one of the encroachments stated to have been removed continued to exist,” the report said.

Discrepancies between master plan for the city and master plan of drains remained. “The master plan prepared by BBMP was incomplete as it did not take into consideration the tertiary drains. Many drains shown in Revised Master Plan (RMP) and large number of drains which were in existence but not found in RMP were not mapped, raising questions on the validity and reliability of the database,” it said.

CAG pinned the blame on BBMP for failing to ensure linkage of drains with water bodies “which resulted in drying up of a number of lakes in Bengaluru city...”.

The report also flagged as “unfruitful” works worth Rs 61.21 crore taken up for sewage diversion to improve the quality of water bodies. A joint inspection for the audit revealed that the works had done little to stop the flow of sewage into lakes.

Among other important findings of the report are differences in identification of SWDs between BBMP and BDA leading to confusion over buffer zones, taking up desilting works during monsoon season in violation of guidelines and so on.