Flooded and Fed Up: Yelahanka Residents Win Battle for Clean Drains

After enduring two years of knee-deep flooding and inaction from civic agencies, residents of Ramanashree Layout near Yelahanka, North Bengaluru, finally took their struggle to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in early 2023. With monsoons bringing not just rain but untreated sewage into their homes, their plea was urgent. On May 2, 2025, the NGT ruled in their favour, instructing BBMP and BWSSB to complete long-pending stormwater drain (SWD) and sewer infrastructure.

The flooding issue stems from an incomplete SWD that originates in Attur Layout and passes through Anantapur village. It was initially planned to discharge into Puttenahalli Lake, but the forest department blocked access in 2015 after designating the lake a bird sanctuary. This created a dead-end, causing stormwater and sewage to reverse flow into residential areas like Ramanashree Layout and Esteem Northwood Apartments.

BBMP had started SWD work in 2021 but abandoned it halfway. The NGT also lifted a stay on a vital 600-metre sewer line, allowing BWSSB to proceed with laying it along an existing path. This line is key to diverting untreated sewage to a treatment facility and safeguarding the lake.

Residents welcomed the judgment, though they noted the repair work is progressing slowly. The tribunal has mandated strict monitoring to prevent further pollution and demanded action against contributors to the contamination. It also called for an investigation into a potentially hazardous collection well in the locality.

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