The senior officials at the Indian Meteorological Department lashed out at the multiple civic agencies in Bengaluru for taking up development works during monsoon despite the warning
Last week the Bengaluru witnessed over 120 mm rainfall that flooded the streets and even a BBMP worker drowned in the stormwater drain. The irony is that the civic agencies take up work only during monsoon which results in the loss of public money and also puts public safety at stake.
Sunder Metri, Director of Indian Meteorological Department who has predicted thunder and lightning in May and good monsoon in June says, the civic agencies have not learnt their lessons from the past mistakes. Our website has mentioned about the weather and has issued rain warning in advance, but they don’t bother to care instead take up work only in monsoon.
Agreeing with Metri, Srivivas Reddy, and Director Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Committee said it was surprising that civic agencies were taking up development works in rains.
"According to our data, there are 174 flood prone areas in Bengaluru. The BBMP or BWSSB should focus on these areas during rains, but the development workers are also starting now. Recently, 192 km-stretch of stormwater drain work was inaugurated by the Chief Minister. I am not able to understand why such development programmes are done during rains," he said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah performed the groundbreaking ceremony to remodel 192 km-SWDs at an estimated cost of Rs 700 crore. Still, 522 km-stretch of SWDs need to be fenced but the CM failed to ask the officials why they are taking up such works only during rains.
Every time rain-related mishaps take place, it will involve lakes and SWD of a dug up pit by BWSSB, but no measures were taken to fence them of put caution tapes.
Expressing concerns, MR Venkatesh, BBMP Engineer-In- Chief says, along with BBMP, BWSSB also has its ‘Unaccounted for Water’ work going on to plug leakage. The public may find it difficult during monsoon; hence we will put up over 60 flood management units at all the sub divisions. "The units will have motors, pumps, rope, cutting machines and hacksaw blades. The BBMP will coordinate with BESCOM and BWSSB during monsoon and ensure there no life is lost," he said.