Bengaluru: The fear of floods in Bengaluru is increasing year by year. Even if it rains heavily for an hour and a half, it is quite a disaster. So is there no solution to this? Recently, such a question arose after a 22-year-old woman died after a car got stuck in the underpass of K. R. Circle in the city.
If a new drain of 658 km length is constructed in IT city, the flood situation can be prevented. The drain construction will cost Rs. 2,800 Crore. A report prepared by property consultancy firm Knight Frank India said that floods can be avoided successfully. Since 2000 there has been a significant increase in realty construction in Bengaluru due to the increase in the number of tech companies. But a proper drain system has not been built so far, Knight Frank report stated.
Realty development around the lakes and on the Raja canals has reduced the city’s ability to absorb rainwater. As a result, a huge flood occurred in 2022. Bengaluru’s role in India’s economic growth is crucial. It is one of the major cities of the country. So drain system should be smooth.
Built-up area in Bengaluru jumped from 37% in 2002 to 93% by 2020. Bengalore has 842 kilometres of primary and secondary sewers. An additional 658 kms of drainage is required by 2031. By then, the population of Bengaluru may rise to 1.8 Crore, the report stated. Bengaluru received 301.1 mm of rain last May. It also obliterated the record of 287.1 mm set in May 1957. Due to the lack of proper drain system, the flood problem in the city has worsened. Water stagnates in low-lying areas. According to the report, drainage system needs to be improved in places like Shivananda Circle, Bannerghatta Road Sagar Hospital Junction, Lingarajapuram Underpass, Chikkapet Main Road, Sankey Road, K. R. Circle Underpass, and Old Madras Road etc.
The Karnataka Government has allocated Rs. 3,000 Crore for the improvement of drains in the 2023-24 Budget. The report stated that the World Bank would provide assistance for this. In general, it explained that only if the drainage system in Bangalore is managed neatly, the flood problem can be solved.