Sewer be it: Construction of secondary drain has HSR residents up in arms

Bengaluru: Seeing the constant flooding of HSR Layout in heavy rain, the BBMP has decided to build a 1.1 km long secondary drain starting from the Outer Ring Road and ending at Salarpuria apartments in the area. But the project, estimated to cost Rs 6 crore and expected to take at least six months to complete, has left people here more dismayed than overjoyed .

There is fear that the work, which began on September 2, could damage the  piped gas line in the area and a  high tension electric wire. And many are also upset at the inconvenience caused to them by the ongoing work.

Lambasting the government and civic officials for their negligence that caused flooding of several parts of  HSR layout during heavy rain, Mr Premkumar, secretary of Sector 7 of the HSR Layout Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA), said, “ The BWSSB is responsible for many parts of the HSR layout being inundated. And now the  work on the  Storm Water Drain is not upto the mark. The roads are so dug up that  people living on  9th Main are finding it difficult to even reach their houses.”  

Others complain that they are finding it difficult to travel across the 13th Cross Road as it has been fully dug up as well. 

An engineer associated with the project says the fears of the residents are justified and the workers engaged do job the job  are more at risk than they are. 

“There is a 220KV high tension wire running through here and if it is damaged it can put the lives of several workers at risk,” he said. 

The supervisor of the project acknowledged, when contacted, that the construction of the secondary drain should have started much before the monsoon to save the area from flooding.