homeindia NewsWhy is Bengaluru flooded? Skymet warns of similar situation in these states in coming days
Why is Bengaluru flooded? Skymet warns of similar situation in these states in coming days
Bengaluru Flood: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai accused the previous state governments of 'neglecting' Bengaluru. He said Rs 800 crore was spent on the remodelling of drains but that amount was not utilised properly, which is evident from the fact that the encroachment was not removed.
Parts of Bengaluru are currently resembling a lake — as depicted in several visuals showing floating cars and people reaching offices on tractors. Twitter users have thronged the social media platform with harrowing images and videos shot in parts of the IT hub which has been struggling with severe waterlogging in the wake of very heavy rainfall.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that such rains were not seen in the last 90 years.
"There’s a picture being shown that entire Bengaluru is in problem, but that’s not right. The problem is only in two zones," he said. He added that the authorities are working round the clock and accused the previous government for the waterlogging problems in Bengaluru and other districts.
Why is Bengaluru flooded?
When asked why Bengaluru has been reeling under floods, Skymet President AVM GP Sharma said any state of India remains vulnerable to floods during monsoon.
"It takes turns...earlier we had Madhya Pradesh and its capital Bhopal...Monsoon systems are such that it affects every part of the country," he told CNBCTV18.com on Tuesday. He said that September "is the rainiest month for Bengaluru". This means that the city is susceptible to flooding.
Pl see in Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/n9BncJDI0L
— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) September 5, 2022
Some are pointing at Bengaluru's "poor" infrastructure. A Congress leader shared a video of flooded roads and said, "Poor infra and an unresponsive 40 percent Karnataka Govt have turned silicon valley into a lake! Residents cry out for help amidst the gushing flood waters."
Poor infra and an unresponsive 40% Karnataka Govt have turned silicon valley into a lake!
Residents cry out for help amidst the gushing flood waters.#Bengaluru 💔 pic.twitter.com/IqYCUwCQca— Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) September 5, 2022
According to a report, the area's drain systems are overworked as a result of the combination of precipitation and sewage. "In 2005, as many as 110 villages were merged into Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) but the city corporation hasn’t bothered to link the villages with the city’s sewage system,” activist Nagesh Aras was quoted by the News Minute as saying.
Flooding in Bengaluru & Mumbai cannot be attributed to climate change alone. That’s a convenient excuse peddled by those in power.
The real culprits are municipal corruption, civic apathy, unsustainable urbanisation & total disregard for urban reforms.pic.twitter.com/Ff4ZWbj8k0— Milind Deora | मिलिंद देवरा ☮️ (@milinddeora) September 6, 2022
There are no culverts along the stretch. "The road acts like a dam to the flowing water and with the lack of culverts, the rainwater and sewage water have no other way to flow but to be accumulated, leading to waterlogging," Nagesh was quoted as saying.
Karnataka CM Bommai accused the previous state governments of 'neglecting' Bengaluru. He said Rs 800 crore was spent on the remodelling of drains but that amount was not utilised properly, which is evident from the fact that the encroachment was not removed.
"I am telling you in clear terms that this way of functioning will not go on anymore. You have to change the way you work. You should not buckle under any pressure irrespective of who the person is," Bommai said.
During his visit to the Outer Ring Road in Bengaluru, Bommai said that he had found that the major reason for the flooding was the encroachment of stormwater drains. He alleged that all major builders have encroached upon the major drains in the last 15 years. According to the Indian Express, he has ordered the demolition of all properties constructed on the drains.
RK MISRA, Co-Founder at Yulu Bike and Urban Planning Expert, said that Bengaluru has grown much faster than it could handle.
"Bangalore's boon has become it's bane. Of course, when IT industry came to Bangalore, it had a fantastic environment, both in terms of the talent skills as well as the climate weather and that is why Bangalore grew much faster than it could handle. It was surprising and actually unfortunate to see our chief minister blaming the previous governments... It will be very important to hear what this government did and of course, successive governments have failed Bangalore," he told CNBC-TV18.
What the govt has been doing to ease the flood situation
The Karnataka government has decided to release Rs 600 crore to manage the rain and flood situation across the state. "To restore damaged infrastructure like roads, electric poles, transformers, schools etc., Rs 300 crore has been kept for Bengaluru alone," Bommai said.
"A total of Rs 1,500 crore has been allocated for construction of stormwater drains in Bengaluru," Bommai said. The work will begin once the water recedes, he added.
Meanwhile, biotechnology industry veteran Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw recently termed the rain havoc in Bengaluru as "devastating". "Both the government and developers need to take collective responsibility to address water-logging," the Chairperson of Bengaluru-headquartered biopharmaceuticals company Biocon told PTI on Tuesday.
Other states bracing for floods?
The Skymet president said that in the coming days, one might hear about flood-like situations in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. He said heavy rains are likely in these states in the next four to five days. "Karnataka will improve now," he added.
First Published: Sept 6, 2022 5:29 PM IST
Check out our in-depth Market Coverage, Business News & get real-time Stock Market Updates on CNBC-TV18. Also, Watch our channels CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and CNBC Bajar Live on-the-go!
Prajwal Revanna Sexual Assault Case: Activist raises concerns over political interference, delayed investigation in the matter
Apr 30, 2024 10:17 PM
Lok Sabha Election 2024: Baramati election outcome will decide the future of Pawar dynasty, says expert
Apr 30, 2024 10:08 PM
Lok Sabha elections 2024: Baramati to Mainpuri, key battles in phase 3
Apr 30, 2024 7:01 PM