Monsoon readiness: Tushar Giri Nath issues instructions for flood-prone areas in Bengaluru

Bengaluru prepares for monsoon flooding with infrastructure improvements and monitoring efforts led by Tushar Giri Nath.

With pre-monsoon showers already making an early appearance, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has begun ground-level push to prevent a repeat of flooding in the city’s most vulnerable pockets.

At Kendriya Vihar and Kogilu Junction in Yelahanka, where flooding has been a recurring concern, officials said a long-term solution is under way through the construction of a 2.7-km-long, 35-metre-wide rajakaluve (primary storm-water drain), connecting a part of Yelahanka Lake to Jakkur Lake, along with 30-foot-wide service roads on either side. While 1.5 km of the drain has already been completed, a temporary raw drain has been created along the remaining stretch to ensure uninterrupted water flow this monsoon.  

Mr. Nath ordered drone documentation of ongoing works near Yelahanka Lake and called for regular desilting and continuous monitoring of the rainwater channel beneath the Kogilu Junction flyover. 

In Tata Nagar, a 900-metre-long, 20-foot-wide storm-water drain is under construction to channel water from Doddabommasandra Lake. Mr. Nath here flagged the need to prevent sewage inflow into storm-water drains and called for land acquisition to widen a narrow drain near Tatanagar Royal Mart.

At Hebbal Lake, development works worth ₹15.9 crore are under way. After clearing encroachments, wetland restoration and inlet construction are in progress. At Hebbal Junction, where flooding has long disrupted traffic, systems are being put in place to divert rainwater into the lake, corporation officials told the Additional Chief Secretary, pointing out that permanent solutions have been implemented for four chronic flooding points, including the airport-bound down ramp, nearby service roads, and areas around the bus stand. 

The inspection also covered Manyata Tech Park and the Veerannapalya stretch of Outer Ring Road while at Nagawara Junction, culvert construction has progressed after the shifting of a GAIL gas pipeline.