<p>Bengaluru: A sudden downpour over the weekend resulted in severe flooding in parts of East Bengaluru, with a Whitefield orphanage being the worst affected.</p>.<p>Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWA) said water surged into the orphanage’s rooms, while several basements on Balagere Road were inundated with a hazardous mix of rainwater and sewage, posing serious health risks.</p>.<p>Many residents told <em>DH</em> about how encroachments on stormwater drains by developers contributed to the flooding. They said repeated complaints to authorities have gone unanswered.</p>.India logs 8% more rain than normal in monsoon season 2024, highest since 2020.<p>A complaint was filed against developers after waterlogged conditions affected the Abhayadhama Orphanage and Holy Cross School, causing distress among children who woke up to find water flooding their rooms due to blocked stormwater drains.</p>.<p>Claiming that big builders had encroached on these drains, residents noted that on August 28, tipper lorries were seen dumping debris and soil into local wetlands and rajakaluves, leading to suspicions that efforts were being made to obstruct the flow of the rajakaluve.</p>.<p>The local RWA, Namma Whitefield, has filed complaints to various authorities, including the chief minister, revenue minister, BBMP and BWSSB. “While the revenue minister and BBMP chief commissioner forwarded our emails, no official action has been taken,” members of Namma Whitefield said.</p>.<p>Coincidentally, they had filed a police complaint against Whitefield Ventures LLP and Purvankara Group regarding this issue on the same evening the flood <br>occurred.</p>.<p>This was not an isolated incident; Muneshwara Temple Road and ECC Road also experienced flooding due to blocked stormwater drains, allegedly encroached upon by local developers, causing significant disruptions and endangering lives and property.</p>.Bengaluru experiences driest September in 90 years: IMD.<p>The Spice Garden in Marathahalli, which has over 200 paying guest accommodations, also suffered flooding.</p>.<p>Dr Dakshayini, BBMP Joint Commissioner for Mahadevapura, assured DH that she had assured the SWD authorities to hold a survey and resolve the issue.</p>.<p>“I met with the management of Holy Cross School and assured them that action will be taken. We have advised them to implement relevant safety measures until the problem is fixed. We will ensure that water flows into the rajakaluve,” she said.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: A sudden downpour over the weekend resulted in severe flooding in parts of East Bengaluru, with a Whitefield orphanage being the worst affected.</p>.<p>Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWA) said water surged into the orphanage’s rooms, while several basements on Balagere Road were inundated with a hazardous mix of rainwater and sewage, posing serious health risks.</p>.<p>Many residents told <em>DH</em> about how encroachments on stormwater drains by developers contributed to the flooding. They said repeated complaints to authorities have gone unanswered.</p>.India logs 8% more rain than normal in monsoon season 2024, highest since 2020.<p>A complaint was filed against developers after waterlogged conditions affected the Abhayadhama Orphanage and Holy Cross School, causing distress among children who woke up to find water flooding their rooms due to blocked stormwater drains.</p>.<p>Claiming that big builders had encroached on these drains, residents noted that on August 28, tipper lorries were seen dumping debris and soil into local wetlands and rajakaluves, leading to suspicions that efforts were being made to obstruct the flow of the rajakaluve.</p>.<p>The local RWA, Namma Whitefield, has filed complaints to various authorities, including the chief minister, revenue minister, BBMP and BWSSB. “While the revenue minister and BBMP chief commissioner forwarded our emails, no official action has been taken,” members of Namma Whitefield said.</p>.<p>Coincidentally, they had filed a police complaint against Whitefield Ventures LLP and Purvankara Group regarding this issue on the same evening the flood <br>occurred.</p>.<p>This was not an isolated incident; Muneshwara Temple Road and ECC Road also experienced flooding due to blocked stormwater drains, allegedly encroached upon by local developers, causing significant disruptions and endangering lives and property.</p>.Bengaluru experiences driest September in 90 years: IMD.<p>The Spice Garden in Marathahalli, which has over 200 paying guest accommodations, also suffered flooding.</p>.<p>Dr Dakshayini, BBMP Joint Commissioner for Mahadevapura, assured DH that she had assured the SWD authorities to hold a survey and resolve the issue.</p>.<p>“I met with the management of Holy Cross School and assured them that action will be taken. We have advised them to implement relevant safety measures until the problem is fixed. We will ensure that water flows into the rajakaluve,” she said.</p>