ENSURING SMOOTH FLOW OF WATER: An earthmover removing silt from a drain in the Vrushabavathi valley on Mysore Road in Bangalore on Tuesday. Earth caved in at many places in the city following rain. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE: The State Government has asked the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to chalk out an action plan in the next two days for rain affected areas in the seven City Municipal Councils (CMCs) and one Town Municipal Council surrounding the city.

Following the rain havoc caused during September-October in the CMCs, the Government had asked these agencies to take up the responsibility of setting up a stormwater drain network in areas beyond the city limits. While the BMP had been asked to survey areas in K.R. Puram, Byatarayanapura and Rajarajeshwarinagar CMCs, the BDA had been given the remaining CMCs.

Highly-placed sources told The Hindu on Tuesday that BMP Commissioner K. Jothiramalingam and the BDA Commissioner M.N. Vidyashankar along with top officials met Chief Secretary B.K. Das and made a presentation on the reasons for the rain havoc in the CMCs last year. "We have been asked to chalk out an action plan on restoring the heavily damaged areas and also explore alternatives to go ahead with the storm water drain project even if we are not able to clear encroachments," the sources said. The officials have been directed to make another presentation on this issue to the Chief Secretary on March 9. "A tentative estimate of Rs. 45 crores has been prepared to construct a stormwater drain network in rain-affected areas in the three CMCs given to the BMP. If we get a nod from the Government to go ahead with the project, it will be funded by the Government," the sources added.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail