Bengaluru: Rajakaluve or Storm Water Drain are scientific structures that maintain the water table by carrying the overflowing water from the lakes filled by rain to another lake bed. Dirty water is now flowing in the Rajakaluves, which were supposed to add only rain water to the lakes. The Rajakaluves are filled with garbage, debris, waste and silt, and when it rains heavily, it overflows and creates mudslides.
Rajakaluves are the connecting links to carry rain water from one lake to another. However, due to encroachment and improper management, the communication links have been lost. As a result, the lakes are overflowing and the water is flowing in different directions, entering the residential areas and forcing people to the streets. The same is the case now in the eastern part of Bengaluru.
In 2016-17 and 2017-18, the Government woke up when the Rajakaluves in the city overflowed due to heavy rains. Ordered immediate clearance of encroachments in Rajakaluves and buffer zones. A huge grant was also released to improve the state canals. However, the encroachment clearance operation stalled as fast as it had started.
There is a network of 859.9 km long primary and secondary canals in the capital including Koramangala Valley, and a concrete retaining wall has been created for about 490 km long canal. Elsewhere the normal kaluves remains intact. The annual maintenance work of the repaired 440 km long canal was awarded to Yoga & Co for a period of three years from April 9, 2019. Rs. 69,390 was being paid to this organiaation for the maintenance of each kilometre of Rajakaluves.
Had all the conditions of the annual maintenance contract been complied with, the image of the 440 km long Rajakaluves would have changed. Not so in reality. It is also a mystery as to where the company contracted to manage it deposited the silt removed from the canals. Later the contract given to Yoga & Co has been canceled and a short-term tender has been called for the maintenance of state canals by Assembly constituency. Rs. 100 Crore was spent on the maintenance of state canals for a period of three years. The tender process was finalised and the work also begun. The silt in the canals were being removed during the summer season itself and kept well equipped so that the rain water can flow easily. However, the Corporation is taking up the maintenance of the canals during the rainy season as if it were a wartime exercise.
The Rajakaluves of the city do not dry up even in hot summer. The reason for this is that many buildings, including apartments, are discharging untreated sewage into the Rajakaluves. Due to this, the lakes are getting polluted. Through Kaveri water, it supplies the city with 1,450 MLD of water daily. 80% of the used water is entering the lake through canals.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has been spending hundreds of crores of rupees every year for the maintenance and development of storm water drains in the city. However, the condition of the storm water drains remains the same due to the reasons best known to the engineers at the storm water drains wing of the BBMP.