Kanteerava stadium drowns under sewage water: 7 reasons why it happened

Kanteerava stadium was flooded with sewage water on Tuesday after heavy rains lashed Bengaluru Sewage water started flowing from the storm water drain near the west entrance. This mixed with the rainwater in the indoor stadium The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike was supposed to have upgraded the drainage system around the stadium, but the work is yet to be completed

Rain has lashed Bengaluru for the last three days. And while several houses were flooded, another structure that had to bear the brunt was the low-lying Kanteerava stadium.

While the stadium was flooded with sewage water, stadium authorities went into damage control and said that the impact was minimal.

Here is what happened:

1. There was heavy rainfall in the area starting at 10.30 pm on Tuesday, August 15. It poured all night and  inundated the indoor stadium

2. Sewage water started flowing from the storm water drain near the west entrance. This mixed with the rainwater in the indoor stadium

3. The water damaged the newly-laid maplewood floor at the venue. The flooring was installed ahead of the FIBA Asia women’s basketball championship last month, and even the Pro-Kabaddi League matches were shifted to Nagpur because the authorities felt it would damage the surface

4. Anupam Agarwal, director, Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, said that close to 50 cleaning staff were pressed at pumping out the water

5. Agarwal said, “We took action immediately. We started by 7 a.m., and by 2 p.m. all the water was pumped out. Generally we take a couple of days, but not this time. So there was no stagnation for a long while.”

6. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike was supposed to have upgraded the drainage system around the stadium, and nearly Rs 3 crore was sanctioned last year. But the work is yet to be completed

7. The water has already seeped below the wooden board and now the board has to be removed to take out the water. The edges in a few areas of the flooring appeared to have warped, a direct consequence of wood absorbing moisture, particularly on the sides close to the entry gates

Anupam Agarwal has said that it will take two more days to completely dry the stadium. He said that the floor will be re-polished and hopes that the venue will be ready ahead of Premier Futsal in September.