Bengaluru

BWSSB

Bangalore

BBMP

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BBMP Commissioner

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Of the 10,000+ km of roads in, 3,000+ km have been dug up by. Rest have some construction or the other.After the heavy rains in the last 48 hours, Bengaluru has become the Lake District. On Tuesday, where there should be roads, there were waterways. And motorists and two-wheeler riders have been driving through the slush, water-logged streets and pools of water, with a sinking feeling that Bengaluru is drowning.The condition of the roads was worst in areas that were added to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) when the thenMahanagara Palike (BMP) became thein 2006.While on the one hand, roads have not been repaired when they were falling apart, on the other, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has dug up several parts of the city to lay water pipelines to provide Cauvery water, and underground drainage pipes. However, the BWSSB has not restored the roads after the pipes have been laid.Balagere and Varthur Road that connects the Outer Ring Road looked like a small river on Tuesday. Many vehicles got stranded on the water-logged road. A two-wheeler rider suffered a fracture in his leg after he fell off his bike while navigating the crater-like potholes on the road.“Roads in Bengaluru become slushy when it rains. This was the same situation when the monsoon started. It was very difficult to use these roads then,” says Jagadeesh Reddy of Varthur Rising, a voluntary group of residents that highlights and seeks to solve the civic problems in Varthur.Expressing shock over the condition of roads at Belathur, Abhilash, a software engineer, said that commuting on a two-wheeler had become dangerous. “I’m carpooling to get the children to school. A resident of Propulsive Pinnacle said that he was injured while taking his child to school on a two-wheeler,’’ said Abhilash.Residents of Kanakagiri also said that commuting would be tough for them during the monsoon. “Most of the roads are dug up for laying water and UGD pipes. The authorities are yet to restore the roads,’’ said a member of Kanakagiri Residents’ Welfare Association.Residents of Koramangala have complained against frequent power outages whenever it rains heavily.“There was no power for five hours on Monday night,’’ said a resident.Preethi Rao, a resident of Koramangala 4th Block said that the whole area has been affected due to the construction of the BBMP flyover between Ejipura and Hosur.JCBs, metal rods, construction of the foundation pillars of the flyover, large pits dugs up various agencies, garbage floating in puddles, heavy traffic and long stretches of damaged roads have been causing traffic pile-ups for hours, says a commuter who passes through Koramangala everyday.Residents of Mahadevapura have also complained against a power outage in their area on Monday night.In Ashwini Layout, off the Inner Ring Road, the roads have been inundated with rain water and sewage. The residents have been spending money from their own pockets to clean the dirt from the roads.“Sewage overflows onto the roads during the monsoon. We have been complaining to the authorities but to no avail,” they say.The, BH Anil Kumar said, “The BWSSB has dug up 3000 km of roads so far in the city. Of this, it has completed laying water lines and UGD drainage pipes on 630 km of road. The list of the roads has been provided by the BWSSB. These works will be taken up on a war-footing as soon as the rains stop. In the meanwhile, instructions have been issued to clear the slush and water logging. Funds for this will not be a constraint.”Meanwhile, Bengaluru continues to be stung by the rain pain.Rains will continue to lash Bengaluru till September 27, said met officials. The reasons are the low pressure area in Bay of Bengal and the surprisingly active South-west (SW) Monsoon even as it retreats.Srinivas Reddy, director of Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) said, “The SW monsoon is active over peninsular India and the cyclonic circulation from Bay of Bengal is causing rains throughout Karnataka. This situation is going to exist for the next two to three days. On Monday, several parts in the State received heavy rainfall.”The met officials said that this year the SW monsoon is active throughout the country and there is no sign of withdrawal yet. They said that by September last week, 50 per cent of the withdrawal should have taken place, but due to its active state, the retreat of the SW monsoon might get delayed. Interestingly, by then the North-East monsoon will set-in by October.