Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Monday surveyed chosen areas of the city that were hit by the rain overnight and said he would conduct a day-long city-wide inspection on Tuesday, along with deputy CM DK Shivakumar and city legislators.
“Considering that traffic congestion increases in the evening and could cause inconvenience to the public, only a few locations were visited today. Tomorrow, a full-day city tour will be undertaken along with the Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru legislators,” Siddaramaiah said.
“Sensitive areas will be visited, grievances of the people will be heard, the work done by officials will be reviewed, and necessary instructions will be issued,’ he told reporters after visiting some of the affected areas.
Encroached Drains and Ongoing BBMP Work Underlined
Highlighting the city’s stormwater drain infrastructure, he said, “In the city, stormwater drains have been encroached upon, drains are shallow and narrow, and filled with silt. The BBMP has been instructed several times to clear these, and works are still ongoing. There are 859.90 km of stormwater drains. So far, retaining walls have been built for 491 km.”
“Work is underway to build retaining walls along another 195 km. Work on 173 km of drains is being taken up with support from the World Bank. Drain work is progressing. Without stormwater drains, it is difficult to prevent waterlogging on roads,” he added.
Siddaramaiah Identifies 210 Low-Lying Areas, Relief Work in Motion
According to the chief minister, “About 210 low-lying areas in Bengaluru have been identified as sensitive and highly sensitive. Of these, works in 166 areas have been taken up. Temporary measures have been implemented in the remaining 44 locations. Out of these, 24 works are in progress. Once completed, this problem will be significantly reduced.”
He also announced financial compensation for a rain-related death: “A woman has died in Whitefield. A compensation of ₹5 lakh will be provided by the government.”
In reference to traffic and drainage problems identified by traffic police, Siddaramaiah stated, “Traffic police have identified 132 places. Out of these, works in 82 places are finished, and 41 works are pending. This year, drain-related works in the whole city have been undertaken.”
On clearing the fallen trees, the CM stated: “There are special teams to cut down trees immediately. Work will be undertaken in a manner that does not cause any inconvenience to the people.”
4,000+ Encroachments Identified, Half Cleared During Siddaramaiah Visit
Referring to encroachments, he further stated, “4,292 encroachments have been found out. 2,326 have been cleared. Orders have been issued so that more encroachments do not occur.”
“Heavy rain has been witnessed at Silk Board Junction and Hebbal Junction. Railways will take care that water flows smoothly in these areas,” Shivakumar informed the press.
