A view of Sai Layout in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN

Lokayukta Justice B. S. Patil said that negligence of officials and lack of coordination between various agencies were the main reasons for flooding in Bengaluru. Justice Patil made these observations while hearing the suo motu case taken up by Karnataka Lokayukta on Friday.

He also directed officials to speed up desilting work of drains, ensure a gradient to facilitate flow of water in them, and remove all encroachments on drains.

Justice Patil-led Lokayukta delegation visited flood-hit areas in Bengaluru on Thursday. Justice Patil, along with Upa Lokayuktas K. N. Phaneendra and B. Veerappa, had visited four spots that were flooded – Silk Board junction, Panathur Railway underpass, Sai Layout and Manyata Tech Park.

He said that inquiry revealed that the Silk Board junction was mainly flooded because Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) was putting up a metro pillar in the drain and had not made an alternative path for the water flow, even as the civic body had failed to construct a drain scientifically, and that this was also encroached.

The Lokayukta formed a committee under the leadership of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao with engineers of all relevant agencies as members and directed them to come up with a holistic solution and submit the same to the Lokayukta on June 3, the next hearing of the case.

He further directed South Western Railway (SWR) officials to speed up work at Panathur S Cross, where they are carrying out work on an underpass. Justice Patil said that the Railways are not doing an alternate route for water flow from the drain, and the lack of an outlet for water flow after Panathur lake overflowed led to floods. He also directed railway engineers to create an alternate pathway for water flow.

Regarding Sai Layout, officials from SWR and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) said that they had already taken up work to create two big vents at the railway underpass, which was a bottleneck leading to flooding of the area. Justice Patil directed them to ensure coordination among themselves and submit a status report of the work during the next hearing of the case.

An individual identified as Puneeth D.B. had lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta alleging that the encroachment by Karle Group on a stormwater drain was leading to flooding of Manyata Tech Park. However, BBMP officials said that the realty firm had got a favourable order from the High Court of Karnataka and that the CEO, Manyata Tech Park, had assured that they would build the drain. Justice Patil instructed officials to take an undertaking from the firm about building the drain, submit the same along with all relevant documents of the case during the next hearing.