Even before the official onset of the monsoon, Bengaluru has been paralyzed by intense pre-monsoon rains — 16 hours of showers on May 18–19 left streets submerged, infrastructure crumbling, and lives lost. This recurring crisis stems not just from heavy rain, but from an obsolete drainage network, built around the box drain system—a legacy design no longer suited to the city’s current climate.
Box drains, made of concrete and capped with loose slabs, lack the gradient control and debris-resistance needed for effective water flow. Frequent backflow, silt build-up, and health hazards from sewage inflows plague this outdated setup. These drains were never built to manage rainfall as intense as the 105 mm Bengaluru received in just 16 hours.
A pipe-and-chamber system offers a smarter, proven solution. Installed beneath roads, it collects water through grated inlets spaced every 20–30 meters, channeling flow into underground pipes via chambers. This design ensures faster drainage, less siltation, safer pedestrian paths, and reduced contamination. It can even support groundwater recharge, unlike the current setup.
Already implemented across 100+ km of Tender S.U.R.E. roads, this system drains water within 5–10 minutes during heavy downpours. While it may cost around 30% more initially, it saves significantly in the long run through reduced maintenance and damage.
The BBMP has the capacity to deploy this across the city. What’s missing is political urgency. To build a future-ready Bengaluru, the city must leave behind antiquated ideas and adopt flood-resilient, climate-adaptive infrastructure now.
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