Waterlogging alert: When it rains, avoid Koramangala and its surroundings

Originally tweeted by Muralidhar Rao (@murali772) on November 16, 2020.

By Chandrima Mazumdar

The lives of Koramangala residents were once again disrupted due to the rainfall on Monday. A tweet by resident and civic activist Muralidhar Rao showed the road near Maharaja Junction clogged with water. Interestingly, this happened with only 30mm of rainfall that the area received the day before yesterday. While the BBMP claims to be working to stop the flooding in Koramangala and surrounding areas, there is no respite just yet.

What is the problem?

The areas near BTM Layout, Koramangala, and HSR Layout are filled with low-lying roads. The simplest bouts of rain leads to water logging. Residents and by-passers have to wade through knee-deep water on the streets, in which many vehicles are stranded until the waters recede over time.

Actions by BBMP

According to reports, BBMP is already working to resolve the crisis. A project called K-100 is underway. BBMP has planned to build an alternative parallel pipeline to clear the excess water off the streets. The excess water would be diverted to Bellandur Lake.

The real problem

According to Rao, who is also an engineer, the civic agency’s project is not practical. “The pipeline is supposed to be underground,” he says. “The first question  is how will they collect the water? Will there be pumps? That part is still unclear.”

The pipeline is supposed to cross the belt of storm water drain (SWD) from below. It will run to a depth of more than 30 feet, and then come up on the other side, from where it will go to a box drain which is again underground and then reach Bellandur Lake. The second problem is that this entire process is supposed to be natural without any pumps. As explained in his blog, Rao says that the difference in the level is not enough to enable a natural flow. In his earlier talk with civic officials, they had stated that it would happen through a “siphon” action. “But, for “siphon” to work, creating a vacuum is necessary which is not possible in the area,” says Rao. “Ultimately, the water will not flow. Due to the muck and dirt that will jam the drain, the water will backflow and the neighbourhood will be flooded again, and in a much worse way. Eventually, the Rs 25 crores (project cost) worth of taxpayers’ money are going to be wasted.”

A better solution

One of the easiest solutions would be to clear the existing SWD and its inlets and outlets. Rao says that the various inlets to the SWD from the nearby roads are blocked by unauthorised buildings on the roadside. “But of course, that would mean that they can’t call for a huge contract and pocket the money,” he says. “Right now, they provide patchwork solutions. They will clear the drains, leave the garbage near the road, so that it flows back into the drain the very next day. We need a permanent solution to the problem.”

Various open letters to BBMP officials, Koramangala ward committee members and even the MLA, though acknowledged, have gone unanswered.