To most passers-by, it appears to be little more than a neglected drain carrying dark water beneath a bridge. Littered with discarded tyres and household waste, it hardly attracts attention. Yet this overlooked waterway is part of Bengaluru’s historic rajakaluve network — a system of primary stormwater channels laid out centuries ago to connect the city’s lakes and tanks.
Urban planners and environmental experts say the shrinking of these channels is one of the key reasons behind the recurring floods that affect many Bengaluru neighbourhoods during the monsoon.
A legacy dating back centuries
The rajakaluve system was designed during the time of Bengaluru founder Kempegowda to channel rainwater efficiently from one water body to another. These waterways played a vital role in preventing flooding and maintaining the city’s interconnected lake network.
The drain running along the eastern edge of the Bellandur catchment is one such channel. Under normal conditions, it is meant to carry runoff safely from higher catchment areas into downstream lakes.
Encroachments choke water flow
Over the decades, however, large sections of these historic channels have been narrowed by encroachments.
According to urban studies and satellite imagery comparisons, stretches that were once around 10 metres wide have, in some places, shrunk to less than three metres. The lost space has gradually been absorbed by buildings, compound walls, road extensions and other developments.
While individual encroachments may have appeared insignificant at the time, their cumulative impact has dramatically reduced the channel’s capacity to carry stormwater.
Why roads flood every monsoon
Experts note that flooding is often not caused by inadequate engineering alone but by the loss of land originally reserved for water movement.
When heavy rainfall occurs, narrowed drains struggle to accommodate large volumes of runoff. Water then spills onto nearby roads and residential areas, leading to the flooding that has become a familiar sight across Bengaluru during the rainy season.
Preserving Bengaluru’s water network
As the city continues to expand, environmentalists are calling for stronger protection and restoration of rajakaluves. They argue that safeguarding these historic waterways is essential not only for flood prevention but also for preserving Bengaluru’s ecological heritage.
The humble drain that many overlook today, they say, is a reminder of how closely the city’s future depends on respecting its past.#Bengaluru #Rajakaluve #UrbanFlooding #Bellandur #Environment #newskarnataka
bengaluru, rajakaluve, urban flooding, bellandur, environment, newskarnataka