Urban Development Minister Byrathi Basavaraj on Monday instructed urban development and BBMP officials to widen ‘kaccha’ drains in Mahadevapura zone as a measure to tackle flooding during monsoon.
Mr. Basavaraj, the Minister in charge of Mahadevapura zonal task force, chaired a meeting with civic officials to review infrastructure in the wake of heavy rains that lashed the city last week.
Claiming that not a single drain was encroached upon in the zone, the Minister said the problem was that drains located in villages have been included in the BBMP and they have not been developed. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who toured the city after last week’s rains, has provided funds for expediting the works, he said.
Mr. Basavaraj said officials have been told to widen ‘kaccha’ drains by desilting them to ensure smooth flow of water. “This is a precautionary measure because all the other works that we have planned will be completed only by March 2023.
Noting that more than 50% of the city’s water drains into the K.R. Puram constituency that he represents, the Minister said water gets blocked owing to vents made by the Indian Railways.
Three areas that face problems in K.R. Puram are Nagapppa Reddy Layout, Pai Layout and Sai Layout. The government has sanctioned ₹32 crore for infrastructure development. An additional drain was being built at Nagappa Reddy Layout, he said.
Till now, 23 households in K.R. Puram have received compensation of ₹25,000 each under DBT. In two-three days, all other households would be given the compensation, Mr. Basavaraj said.
Helplines
Helplines have been set up for Mahadevapura zone. Citizens can dial 080-28512300, 080-28512301, and 9480685706 for help.
