Bengaluru: Another spell of heavy rain has exposed gaps in Bengaluru’s stormwater management system, with poor maintenance of roadside drains and an alleged blockage in a rajakaluve triggering severe flooding in residential layouts near Sampigehalli Lake.
Provident Harmony near Sampigehalli Lake was among the worst-affected areas after rainwater breached its compound wall and inundated critical infrastructure. Residents of Provident Harmony and neighbouring layouts said heavy rain on Wednesday caused extensive flooding, which they attributed to inadequate and poorly maintained stormwater drainage infrastructure.
Roadside drains fail to carry rainwater
Residents said that despite recent drainage works in the area, rainwater from Sampigehalli Road and Byrathi Main Road could not flow adequately through the roadside drains.
As the drains failed to carry away the runoff, water accumulated around the residential layouts and eventually entered Provident Harmony.
“Rainwater was not flowing through the roadside drains of Byrathi Main Road and flooded the layout. Poor maintenance of the roadside drains and choking of the stormwater drain were some of the reasons,” said G Suresh, a resident of Blessing Garden Layout.
He said the drainage work carried out in the area was only partial and had not addressed what residents considered the core problem.
The flooding also affected Blessing Garden Layout along Byrathi Main Road, where residents reported substantial water accumulation following the heavy rain.
Residents flag alleged rajakaluve obstruction
Residents have also raised concerns over a possible obstruction in the rajakaluve passing through Provident Harmony.
The water channel is intended to carry stormwater towards Sampigehalli Lake. Residents alleged that the onward flow is blocked near private land behind the apartment complex, resulting in water backing up towards the residential property.
According to residents, the accumulation eventually caused water to breach the compound boundary.
The flooding reportedly resulted in the collapse of a significant portion of the apartment complex’s compound wall. The sewage treatment plant and two borewells were also submerged, while several parked cars and other critical infrastructure were damaged.
Residents seek inspection of entire drainage network
Residents said the incident highlighted the need for authorities to examine the entire stormwater flow rather than addressing individual drains in isolation.
They have urged the authorities to inspect the complete route from the upstream roads through the roadside drainage network and rajakaluve to Sampigehalli Lake.
They have also sought an assessment of the alleged obstruction near the private property and called for cleaning, maintenance and restoration of the stormwater channels wherever necessary.
Residents said piecemeal drainage works would not provide a lasting solution if bottlenecks along the overall water-flow route remain unresolved.
Fear of repeated flooding
The latest flooding has raised concerns among residents about the vulnerability of Provident Harmony and adjoining layouts during subsequent spells of heavy rain.
Residents have called for a comprehensive and permanent stormwater management solution, including proper maintenance of roadside drains and restoration of the natural flow towards Sampigehalli Lake.
They warned that unless the drainage network is examined and bottlenecks are addressed across the entire stretch, residential properties in the area could continue to face flooding whenever Bengaluru receives intense rainfall.
The incident has once again brought attention to the challenges posed by Bengaluru’s stormwater network, particularly in rapidly developing residential areas where large volumes of rainwater need to be carried safely towards lakes and other designated drainage channels.