Emergency teams that were usually put in place during the monsoon months at the sub-division level will now work round the year, said Tushar Giri Nath, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) new Chief Commissioner.
Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, he said that he had reviewed the civic body’s rain preparedness and by May 25, emergency teams would be in place at the sub-division level. These teams will be equipped with the necessary machinery to attend to any emergency situation, including flooding, water logging, tree fall etc.
“These teams will be active all year long and be involved in continuous maintenance, unlike before when they would be in place only during the monsoon months,” he said.
Mr. Giri Nath said that when the carrying capacity of drains is reduced, the water will overflow. The BBMP had already taken up maintenance of 400-km of storm water drains, mostly those in the outer areas of the city. This would be expedited and weekly targets would be set.
The civic body had already identified the vulnerable points prone to flooding. These would also be cleaned to prevent flooding. “In many places, there is overgrowth. However, this has not been considered in the tender. We will convince the contractors to take it up,” he said and added that after this is cleared, regular maintenance would be enough. An action plan for the same was being prepared.
The KSNDMC has already installed sensors in many drains. The civic chief said that KSNDMC had submitted a plan to the government to upgrade the sensors, fit additional sensors so that more parameters could be monitored.
The forest cell in the BBMP was already surveying trees. The officials have been instructed to identify weak trees and clear them, he added.
