Bengaluru rain: New stormwater drain near Manyata, measures in Nagavara mooted

Bengaluru: BBMP chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao and other officials Sunday visited several rain-affected areas and proposed measures, while also instructing civic staff to initiate action wherever necessary.

"Waterlogging has been reported near Manpho, close to Manyata Tech Park, due to poor stormwater drain (SWD) connectivity. The chief commissioner has directed officials to conduct a joint meeting with stakeholders from Manyata, EBS IT Park, Manpho, and Karle InfraTech to initiate construction of a new SWD," BBMP said in a press release.

At Nagavara Junction, where Metro construction is ongoing, Rao instructed Metro officials to maintain regular cleaning of SWDs to prevent waterlogging. He also emphasised the need for progress in the High-Density Corridor project, including the construction of cross culverts.

"Near Thanisandra, desilting of stormwater drains is in progress, and around 20 truckloads of silt have already been cleared. The remaining silt must be removed promptly, and slab measurements on top of the SWDs should be taken, as instructed to the concerned officers," the BBMP note stated.

Following multiple incidents of trees and branches falling in heavy rain and wind, BBMP has deployed 30 special teams from the forest department across the city. "We've deployed 3-4 special teams in each zone just to tackle trees and branches falling, so that we can quickly attend to calls and ensure no damage occurs. So far, no survey has been taken up just to count dry trees, but we will see what can be done to avoid trees and branches falling," Rao said.

On May 18, BBMP reported 46 branch-fall and 19 treefall complaints, of which 37 branches and 17 trees have been cleared.

Gusty winds, moderate Sunday showers

It was another wet and breezy day for Bengaluru as parts of the city saw moderate showers accompanied by gusty winds Sunday. The city witnessed light-to-moderate showers, clocking 10.3mm of rainfall between 8.30am and 8.30pm, according to IMD. Bengaluru Urban area saw 11mm of rainfall. Areas like JP Nagar, Jayanagar, Ulsoor, HSR Layout, and Silk Board saw moderate showers.