Severe flooding on Varthur Kodi Road in east Bengaluru on Saturday resulted from multiple infrastructural shortcomings, as identified by Bengaluru East City Corporation. With monsoon season approaching, officials are prioritizing repairs to prevent future incidents.
Heavy rainfall,totaling approximately 55 mm, caused significant water stagnation on the road. An official from East City Corporation noted that a saucer drain near Manipal Hospital is positioned at a higher elevation than the stormwater drain (SWD),obstructing the natural flow of rainwater. “We have now planned to increase elevation of the SWD. The work has started,but it will take some time to complete,” the official stated.
In addition to the elevation issue,another pipeline along the same road segment was found to be disconnected from the SWD. Plans are underway to rectify this oversight. The official also mentioned that ongoing work by the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has contributed to the drainage problems in the area .
“We have ensured that the flooding will not recur,and in the meantime, we will implement a long-term solution,” the official added. To address drainage issues effectively,officials have been instructed to redesign drain structures as needed, focusing on slope and water inflow challenges.
As part of a proactive approach,the corporation has mandated that engineers and staff respond promptly to infrastructure concerns reported This app facilitates coordination among various departments and allows the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) to flag civic issues for resolution . The system generates tickets for reported problems,which are closed once addressed.
On the day of the flooding,the BTP raised the issue through the ASTraM app,but immediate action was lacking . complexity of the situation required the involvement of multiple stakeholders on-site, which delayed the response. Meanwhile,World Bank-funded initiatives to strengthen stormwater drains are ongoing,with officials actively clearing identified encroachments along the affected areas.
As the city braces for further rainfall,the East City Corporation is under pressure to rectify these infrastructural flaws swiftly. The focus remains on ensuring that drainage system can handle future storms effectively,safeguarding the community from similar flooding incidents .
