Bengaluru rains: Ordeal of residents in layouts prone to flooding continues
People were seen struggling to clear water and despite calling the BBMP, no one responded, a resident alleges
About 60 houses in Daadys Garden Layout were flooded after torrential rains lashed for about three hours between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. in Bengaluru on Sunday, August 11.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The daily wage labourers residing at an independent house at Sri Sai Layout woke up when their shirts started to feel moist, only to see water surrounding them. The stench was unbearable as the rainwater that entered the house was mixed with sanitary water.
Neelufar Ahmed, the owner of the house who has rented the ground floor to daily wage labourers, said at least 25-30 houses in the layout were flooded following heavy rain on Sunday night (August 11) and Monday morning (August 12). The people were seen struggling to clear water and despite calling the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, no one responded, she alleged.
Ms. Ahmed further said every year, the residents, including her have to set aside money to clean the homes after flooding. This has become a routine affair during the monsoon. “Every year, elected representatives visit the area and make promises of fixing the problem, but till today nothing has happened,” she said.
She said while seven streets were inundated, water from overflowing commodes of the washrooms also entered houses and blamed the faulty drainage system.
Residents of Sonestaa Silver Oak in Thubarahalli, Whitefield, had to deal with their apartment’s boundary wall collapsing. The 15-ft-tall boundary wall is constructed 6 to 7 feet lower than adjacent areas. Water-logging on the other side of the wall is a yearly affair, but was exacerbated by ongoing construction less than a foot away from it this year. A huge influx of water knocked down the wall, damaging water pipes and flooding the entire ground-floor parking area.
Concerned residents called the Fire Department immediately who worked relentlessly for 6 hours to drain the water. There was minor damage to some vehicles with one scooter being knocked over and breaking its side mirrors.
Residents are concerned about future flooding, now that the wall is gone. “At least the wall could sustain for some time so that water didn’t come inside, but now there is nothing. If it rains suddenly, we will be in a worse condition than this,” said Sanjeev Das, the president of the apartment’s Residents Welfare Association.
Mani S., a resident of Daadys Garden Layout at Kammasandra in Anekal said residents owning cars have lost lakhs as those went under the water. “The commissioner of Anekal City Municipal Council visited the spot. Every year he visits, but no measures are implemented. The residents have spent sleepless nights for at least two days cleaning the house,” he said.
Inputs from Mahima Nagaraju and Syeda Zainab.
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