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In HOT water
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Biju from BTM Layout wonders aloud how low matters (and homes) can sink
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Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash
"THERE WAS continuous rain for about six hours last Sunday, but since we had the last flood two years ago, we all thought the Corporation would've repaired the Madivala lake walls and the drainage system by now. But Monday afternoon, when everyone was out, the houses slowly started getting flooded. Our basement was full of water... I couldn't even pump out the water because even the road was a river!
"We could do nothing. Just waited for two days for the water level to go down by itself. But it was stagnant... there was no place for it to seep. Even now, after one week, there's water in our houses.
"The Corporation people came, but they were working on the drain on the other side of the layout. And when we called them to repair the lake walls, there was no response. It's strange how there are two departments responsible for this, but neither knows what to do. The Forest Department's in charge of the lake, but once the lake water goes beyond the walls, it's the Corporation's responsibility! So who are we supposed to approach?
"See, in this layout, the land level is much lower than the water in the lake. The Corporation levelled the places where roads had to be laid, but the BDA plots were left out. Our houses are all sitting on the bank of the lake, really. The ground water level is quite high, and when it rains, the water table just goes up and up... "Even when some department finally takes action, they make things worse. There is a little opening in the enclosure around the lake for excess water to escape into the drains during monsoon. The Corporation came and widened that opening. The water gushed out with such a force that it went right onto the roads nearby.
"In Bangalore, the rainwater drain and sewage drain meet under the ground. So, when the ground water rises, everything comes up with it... So sick!
"Newspapers might have photos of people fishing on the roads, kids making paper boats, etc., but what's the point of making the whole episode look like a fun event? Just because we residents keep quiet and manage all the problems ourselves doesn't mean that things can be left completely to us. We are waiting for what is due to us. We have been waiting a long time."
As told to ROHINI MOHAN
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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