From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Sep 6: Even as the State’s capital city received record rains in 90 years with netizens deriding that Bengaluru has become Venice with people in IT-dominated gated communities forced to use boats for commute or safety, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday promised to take immediate steps to solve the problems while blaming the previous Congress governments for being responsible for the present mess.
The State Government has been working round the clock to meet the challenging situation, Bommai said while talking to media persons near his residence on Tuesday.
“The unplanned and misrule during the previous Congress governments is responsible for Bengaluru facing flood-like situation,’’ the Chief Minister said and accused the earlier Congress rule for ``recklessly giving permission to build houses, apartments in tanks, tank bund and in the buffer zones’’ in several areas.
“The Congress rule is solely responsible for the present day situation,’’ Bommai asserted.
He said the previous Congress Government never thought about the management of tanks. ``But we have taken it as a challenge and released Rs 1500 crore towards the construction of the much-needed Rajakaluve. On Monday, encroachments worth Rs 300 crore had been removed,’’ he said.
“Instructions are given that the construction quality of Rajakaluve must be good. A system will be made to ensure that there would be no problems for the free flow of water. At the same time, encroachment will not be allowed,’’ he asserted.
The Chief Minister said the government has been working in this quite challenging situation.
“All the tanks in the city are filled to the brim. While some are overflowing, a few have breached. But it is projected as if the whole of Bengaluru is submerged. In fact, only two zones, and among them only Mahadevapura Zone has been affected as there are 69 lakes in this area and all of them have overflowed. Almost all the buildings are in low-level and encroached upon too,’’ he explained.
Bommai said his government has taken the situation very seriously. The officials, engineers and NDRF teams are working 24X7. Already, a majority of encroachment had been removed and still it was going on. The sluice gates will be fixed for the maintenance of tanks.
Officials have been asked to camp in the affected areas and to attend the works on receiving the calls from the distressed citizens. The work on draining out of water has been going on. Except problems in one or two places, water has been taken out in most of the places. The continuous rains was hampering this work, he said.
The Chief Minister said Rs 300 crore has been released to deal with the current rain situation as well as the maintenance of basic infrastructure in Bengaluru.
He said his discussion with deputy commissioners of 15 districts, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board and senior officials in regard to rain and floods in the State on Monday led to release of Rs 600 crore for the management of floods in Bengaluru and other districts especially roads, bridges, electric poles, transformers and school building repairs.
Bengaluru City alone was given Rs 300 crore and the DCs' have Rs 664 crore with them and Rs 500 crore has been released to provide infrastructure. In regard to the current situation in Bengaluru City, Rs 1500 crore has been released for the construction of Rajakaluve and the works would start once the rains stop.
Exclusive SDRF for Bengaluru
Bommai said seeing the flood-like situation in Bengaluru, Rs 9.50 crore has been released to establish a company of SDRF exclusively for Bengaluru and to provide the equipment. This SDRF Company was restricted only to Bengaluru City. For the rest of State, two more companies would be established by involving the retired defense personnel.
He said the area of Bengaluru has expanded due to inclusion of 110 villages into the BBMP limits. As infrastructure of those 110 villages are also added to Bengaluru limits, new problems have cropped up. The zones are divided among the ministers and they are working on war-footing along with officials.
The government will seek co-operation of the citizens of Bengaluru during the current rainy situation and everything will be managed well.
"We will remove encroachments of roads, canals, Rajakaluves and installing the gates for waterholes. Infrastructure will be improved. Since the state capital has received the record rains in the shortest period they need to take it as a challenge and face it unitedly,’’ he said.
2-day disruption in water supply
The Chief Minister explained that he had visited the submerged Torekadanahalli (TK Halli) water pump-houses which supplies drinking water to Bengaluru, and inspected the unit.
The excess water from River Bheemeshwara had entered the pump-house causing damages to two pump-houses. Water has been drained out from one pump-house. The supply of 230 MLD of water would start from tonight but it will take at least two days to drain out water from 550 MLD water distribution pump-house, he said.
In between 8000 borewells of BWSSB and 4000 borewells in BBMP limits were activated to supply water to affected areas. Besides, steps are taken to supply water through tankers. The government will seek co-operation of the citizens for two days, he added.
Relief from Centre being sought
He said a Central team is visiting Karnataka and with that the damage caused by rains and floods across the State in general and Bengaluru in particular will be discussed.
The team will be given full information about the damage caused to crops, houses and infrastructure, and seek a suitable compensation from the Union Government, he said.