‘Flush hub or posh hub’

Ask HSR residents when rains entered their homes
By SINDHU PR

The residents of HSR Layout, particularly in low lying areas of Sector 3, are finding their houses flooded due to incessant rains. Even if it’s not record rainfall like this time, flooding has been common here due to blocked drains, lack of culverts at key junctions and abject apathy from both the BBMP and the BWSSB. But there is more. With the Agara Lake being revived, the overflowing water hasn’t find an outlet. The result is that the water is backing up and finding its own path… into people’s houses, parking lots, porticos and courtyards.

Last month’s record rains only made it worse across the city and HSR was no exception. BBMP official TS Muralidhar says there are two other reasons for the flooding. “Earlier, the water absorption rate in open lands was 25% compared to today’s 5-6% due to everything being concretised and the absence of lakes, ponds and wells,” he says. “The water from Somasundrapalya Lake has to go somewhere and since it’s not happening, low lying areas are getting flooded.”
During the record rains, not only were the roads flooded, water flowed inside apartment parking lots and ground floor houses. Says Sector 3 resident Augustine: “At least 3 Ft water was inside my house… TV, washing machine, fridge, everything submerged.”
When it rains, the administration stands exposed. What is an underground issue comes to the surface. Many people were under house arrest because they could not step out. Another resident said, “Everything is a concrete jungle. So many houses on each site… a 30×40 site has four floors and eight houses. This is just a warning from nature.” Another resident wondered, “Is HSR, a posh hub or a flush hub?”
Since it happened on Independence Day, one resident quipped, “How to come for the Independence Day flag hoisting? Any boats arranged to cross 17th A Main Road?” To add to the chaos were snakes, sewage and garbage all over the place.
Added to that were roadside eateries offloading their refuse into the storm water drains on 19th Main and 18th Main. Joint Commissioner (Bommanahalli) Veerabhadraswamy also visited the low lying areas of Sector 3 and so did Bangalore Development minister KJ George – he inspected Lawrence School in Sector 6 that was ravaged by the flooding due to the record rains.
A memorandum by Sector 3 residents was also presented to chief minister Siddaramaiah when he visited HSR last month. But no action has been taken so far. We hope the state government and the civic agencies resolve this recurring flooding issue permanently and alleviate the sufferings of residents.