Here comes the rains, and floods

As the same areas go through the nightmare, interventions unlikely to be completed before end of season

The monsoon is here and with every bout of rain that lashes the city, parts of the city are under water. What is leaving citizens fuming is that the same spots are re-living the nightmare, for years now, making them question why the authorities concerned cannot find a permanent solution. 

For instance, the bustling market hub of B.V.K. Iyengar Road is inundated with every rain, with water gushing into shops causing large-scale financial losses, and also posing threat to life in a high-density area.

Cloth merchant Rahul from the area said heavy rains lead to 3-5 feet of water in the shops, leading to huge losses. “The drains in the area are mostly choked and overburdened, leading to a reverse flow of water. So water doesn’t drain out easily and stays on the roads and in the shops,” he explained.

The worst-affected are the old Tharagupet and Sultanpet areas, traders say. Another wholesale merchant and trade activist from the area Sajjan Raj Mehta said following repeated complaints to the civic body and the Chief Minister, the government has now released ₹4 crore for the overall development of B.V.K. Iyengar Road. However, work is yet to begin. 

On Monday night, vehicles were wading through mini pools that had formed on New Thippasandra Main Road, which is a crucial link to go to various areas such as C.V. Raman Nagar and Vigyannagar. Most inner roads were also waterlogged.

“The worse thing is, even Suranjandas Road gets inundated with every rain, and there is a huge pool that forms in front of BEML gate. It is the same story every year and I don’t know how much longer we have to put up with this,” said Meenakshi, a resident of Malleshpalya. 

Residents of Sri Sai Layout in Horamavu ward, who suffered under seven feet water for three days following the heavy rain mid-May, are still waiting for a permanent solution to their problem.