‘Permanent solutions implemented for waterlogging areas’

BENGALURU Under the strategic direction of Bengaluru North City Corporation Commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar, the municipal administration has successfully executed a series of major engineering and infrastructural interventions to resolve chronic waterlogging and flood-related disruptions across various zones. Addressing problem areas that have plagued residents for over a decade, the Corporation has rolled out sustainable, long-term drainage solutions. For nearly 15 years, the stretch near Manyata Tech Park, Veerannapalya, and surrounding areas along the Hebbal Outer Ring Road and Veerannapalya Service Road experienced severe water stagnation spanning up to a kilometre during heavy downpours. To resolve this, municipal authorities cleared canal encroachments and constructed a 1.6-kilometre-long artificial channel connecting the Veerannapalya Service Road directly to the main Hebbal storm water channel. The intervention proved highly effective during the heavy precipitation of September 30, keeping Karianna Palya and the Outer Ring Road completely free of flooding. In Ramanashree California Layout (Puttenahalli–Attur area), historical waterlogging caused by unmanaged rainwater and sewage flow from Ananthapura village was successfully resolved. By securing landowner cooperation, the Corporation laid a 145-metre-long, 600 mm diameter NP3 RCC pipe to divert sewage and constructed a 60-metre-long storm water drain under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to route catchment runoff smoothly into Puttenahalli Lake. Similarly, in HBR Layout 5th Block, a persistent 10-year bottleneck near the BESCOM office—caused by an interfering HN Valley MS pipeline along 18th Main Road—was permanently remedied by constructing a new RCC culvert and drain aligned with the road gradient. Regular silt and vegetation clearing is also underway across Sarvagnanagar drains to maintain optimal flow capacities. To safeguard vulnerable residential pockets such as Tata Nagar, Dynasty Layout, and Defence Layout—which suffered extensive flooding during the 2024 monsoons—the Corporation has constructed robust RCC retaining walls along storm water drains utilizing NDMF and World Bank financial assistance. Furthermore, recognizing the unique topography of the low-lying Dynasty Layout, engineers have installed dual ground-level water sumps equipped with automated sensor pumps to rapidly discharge roadway accumulation and prevent residential inundation. City-wide, these comprehensive engineering upgrades encompass lake connectivity projects, drain rejuvenation, unlined canal hardening with RCC retaining walls, and the replacement of narrow bridges with wider, hydraulically optimized structures funded through municipal allocations, NDMF grants, and World Bank backing.