The Hindu : BMP to evolve flood management plan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 30, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

BMP to evolve flood management plan

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE April 29. The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) will have a short-term flood management plan in place by May-end, the Chief Engineer (West Zone), Rame Gowda, has said.

He was speaking at a public meeting on BMP's contingency plan for flood prevention, organised by the Public Affairs Centre and Swabhimana at Mayo Hall today.

Mr. Rame Gowda said the BMP had identified 66 wards of the total 100 as "flood-prone", and started desilting drains, removing blockages, and strengthening weak slopes. The long-term strategy was to provide alternative drainage routes, he said.

Desilting: Teams formed

Mr. Rame Gowda said the BMP had already set up teams to identify areas where drains were clogged and needed desilting. Work began on April 15 and would end in a month. The BMP had allocated about Rs. 4 crore for this purpose, with the West Zone getting Rs. 1.2 crore, South Zone Rs. 1.3 crore, and East Zone Rs. 1.6 crore. A sum of Rs. 16 crore had been allocated for the long-term project.

Later, the BMP Commissioner, M.R. Srinivas Murthy, said the long-term plan would take at least three years.

Mr. Rame Gowda spoke about the major valleys — Vrushabhavathi Valley, which begins at Sankey Tank and ends at Mysore Road; Koramangala Valley, which begins at Majestic and ends at Bellendur Lake; Chalaghatta Valley, which starts at Vasanthnagar and ends at Bellendur Lake; and Hebbal Valley, which begins at Jayamahal and ends at Nagavara lake.

Consultants Stups, who were asked to design the remodelling of primary and secondary drains, would submit a detailed project report by June, he added.

Of the Rs. 16 crore allocated for the long-term project, Rs. 10 crore is for the Koramangala Valley.

The other three valleys will get Rs. 1 crore each, in addition to Rs. 1 crore each for desilting.

Referring to emergency squads, Mr. Rame Gowda said three more squads would be formed at the zonal level, and they would work from Malleswaram, Mayo Hall, and the Jayanagar 2nd Block BMP office.

Mr. Murthy said the Central Control Room now had seven telephone lines.

The `Samparka Bandu' (contact person) programme gave BMP valuable inputs. "We have regular contacts who live in low-lying areas. We call them for `real-time' information,'' he added.

Mr. Murthy urged citizens not to throw plastic and household waste into drains, as that worsened the situation.

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