Flooding highlights drainage failures and displacement

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: The heavy rains last week in the city especially on June 2, have once again highlighted the inadequacies of the city's drainage system, particularly in vulnerable areas like Bakshi Garden, Vinobha & Jaibhim Nagar, Gurappa & Ramanna Garden, and Jaali Mohalla.

With up to 2 feet of stormwater inundating 244 homes, the urgent need for better floodresistant infrastructure is evident.

Women-headed families, many of whom are informal labourers, have been particularly hard hit. The flooding has damaged or destroyed essential items such as ration supplies, school bags, books, and blankets.

This is not an isolated incident; even minor rainfall often transforms their homes into pools of water, forcing residents to pump out or manually remove the water. In Bakshi Garden, it is a common sight for residents to move their belongings to higher shelves or to sit on their cots or chairs with their legs up, waiting for the rain to stop and the water to recede.

This routine underscores a deeper systemic failure: the houses, especially about 35 of the total 1500, are situated on the banks of an extremely polluted rajakaluve (stormwater drain) that flows from the Majestic area.

Additionally, an incomplete BBMP project has left the area even more hazardous, with a risk of people slipping and falling into the water while walking. The persistent flooding is not just an inconvenience but a critical issue that calls for immediate action.

City corporations must prioritise clearing stormwater drains regularly to prevent such disasters. Effective flood management systems are essential to protect these vulnerable communities.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) asserts that the land occupied by the residents of Bakshi Garden is part of the rajakaluve and claims these residents are not legally entitled to it.

Despite many families having lived there for over 50 years, spanning 4 to 5 generations, they lack formal documentation for their homes and land. Lakshmi, a house worker who has lived in Bakshi Garden for over 40 years with her bedridden husband, alleges that whenever they approach the BBMP with their concerns, they are threatened with eviction.

"We have been here for decades, but every time we seek help, we face the threat of being driven out," she says.

When News Trail contacted the BBMP, they maintained that the land belongs to the rajakaluve and has been encroached upon by the residents.

The residents, however, question how they can be held responsible for an alleged encroachment that might have occurred more than 50 years ago.

Annappa, an auto driver, expressed his frustration, saying, “When they want votes they come to our door with all sorts of promises. But afterwards, we only encounter closed doors when we seek their help.”

Sangeetha mentioned that before the monsoon, the BBMP cited the upcoming elections as a reason for delays in addressing their concerns.

"But has the election been going on for the past two years?" she questioned, highlighting the prolonged inaction.