Flooded to the brim: Saturday’s rainfall highest in 44 years

Bangalore: It had not rained like this in November in the last 44 years. Saturday night’s rainfall, recorded at 108.5 cm, was the highest for November since 1969. A deep depression around Andaman and Nicobar Islands transformed into a cyclone bringing rains over Bangalore.

The downpour was not because of Cylcone Helen, but Cyclone Leher, meteorological department officials clarified. They said Helen had weakened after making the landfall in Andhra Pradesh on Friday.

“There was enough moisture over Bangalore and the temperature in the last two days had climbed to 31 degrees Celsius, creating the right atmosphere for the thundershowers,” the Met department said. 

Next: Lessons Not Learnt

Lessons Not Learnt

Amit S. Upadhye | DC

Bangalore: It took four hours and 108 mm rainfall on Saturday night to virtually maroon Bangalore. Vehicles were found floating under bridges and residents in many areas spent the night pumping out the water that gushed into their homes.

The plight of citizens proved yet again the need to remove encroachments on storm water drains in the city. The structures on the drains obstruct the free flow of water and cause the flooding every time it rains.

Though this fact has been proved many times over, city planners do not seem to learn from their mistakes. Sample this: The biggest mall complex in the city is being built by Mantri Developers right on the flood plains of Bellandur Lake.

A housing society is developing a 60-acre property in Nirgun Mandir Layout of Koramangala 1st block, narrowing the major drain that carries large amounts of rain water in Koramangala.

“Unless the government stops sanctioning structures on the Rajakaluve, the flooding in Bangalore will not stop. Many areas of Koramangala are witnessing flooding after encroachments on storm water drains began. The Rajakaluve in Koramangala connects the water channels between Bellandur and Varthur wetland system," said Muralidhar Rao, president, Praja RAAG (Research and Advocacy Group).

Urban expert Ashwin Mahesh said that the BBMP must create soaking pits to tackle flooding. “Why are we transporting water from one end to the other? We need to arrest water by creating pits at intervals in the drains. The surplus can always flow in the drain reducing the flooding on roads,” he said.

“The solution has been known for many years. But the problem with BBMP is that it keeps asking what needs to be done. Instead, we need to do work to mitigate flooding in Bangalore. This is not the first time that flooding has caused loss of property and traffic gridlocks in the city. Instead of what needs to be done, the BBMP must ask itself what it did the last time the city flooded,” Ashwin suggested.

Next: Clear debris in Storm water drains

Clear debris in Storm water drains

Dr T. V. Ramachandra

Urbanisation and the consequent loss of lakes has led to decrease in catchment yield, water storage capacity, wetland area, number of migratory birds, flora and fauna diversity and ground water table. Studies of selected lake catchments in Bangalore reveal the decrease in depth of the ground water table from 10-12 m to 100-200 m in 20 years due to the disappearance of wetlands.

The dramatic increase in built-up area could be attributed to the urban sprawl in the peri- urban areas of the city. But at the same time the city’s civic agencies have allowed encroachments to happen on wetlands.

There have been a number of reports and committees formed to evaluate the flooding problems of Bangalore, but none of the suggestions have been implemented.

The IISc had submitted a list of proposals to restore the wetland and major drainage system in Bangalore, but in vain. Today the Mayor speaks about forming a committee to ascertain the amount of encroachments on the drains, but the A. T. Ram­aswamy report has already listed out every encroachment that has taken place on the wetlands of Bangalore.