Bengaluru: “Fallen trees, traffic jams, blackouts! Bengaluru, as usual, comes to a standstill when it rains. Vardah in the city has kept the Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials on toes, but their efforts in the last minute have not been of much help. With the lack of data on ailing trees, storm water drains and bad roads, the falling trees and consequent blackouts have become a common scene in the city and the BBMP never seems prepared to deal with the imminent outbursts of nature.
Again the bad administration by the Palike has taken the city by storm”.
These are the most common predicaments expressed by the citizens of Bengaluru.
If the neighbouring Chennai sneezes, the effects blowout to Bengaluru. Normal life in Bengaluru was also thrown out of gear from Monday night as Cyclone Vardah hit Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu. The normal temperature dipped with 60.8 mm rainfall, much beyond the average record of 15.7mm for the month of December in Bengaluru. City recorded four times higher rainfall in just 24 hours due to cyclone.
The city lay in tatters with uprooted trees, water loggings, overflowing manholes and storm water drains. Traffic was severely affected with the two-wheeler riders bearing the maximum brunt. Localities were reeling under darkness and complaints were pouring into BESCOM with the power cut issues.
Many of the trees were uprooted in J C Nagar, Sanjaynagar, Benson Town, Indiranagar, Yelahanka, Dasarahalli and some areas of Bengaluru South. Areas like HSR Layout, Sanjaynagar, Ejipura, C V Raman Nagar, Koramangala, Yelahanka and JP Nagar witnessed prolonged power cuts.
The BBMP, which was on high alert, had a lot of running around to do to clear the roads fallen trees and trunks. Mayor Padmavathi also went around the city to ensure that the uprooted trees were removed.
Approximately, branches of 15 trees fell across the city. It is estimated that there are about 14 lakh trees in the BBMP limits. During May 2016, BBMP had announced setting up a Tree Committee but till date there are no specialised committees appointed for the residential areas to monitor the health of the trees in the city.
The situation on several roads is pathetic. Eshwar from Sultanpalya pointed out, “My street is linked to other residential layouts and commercial outlets. The scene, early in the morning after Vardah wrath was quite dangerous with vehicles struggling their way through the muddy road. The situation has been the same for the past 10 years.”
An employee from BESCOM office on KHB Road said, “Multiple localities have witnessed power cuts due to the interruption in the feeder services as a result of continuous rain. Complaints are mostly regarding feeders and transformers tripping. Most of the complaints are resolved.”
What is BWSSB doing to help?
Around 20 trees were uprooted because of wind and rainfall. When asked about the precautions taken by the BBMP to prevent this recurring problem during heavy rainfalls, an officer claimed, “The forest cell monitors the trees every month. It’s a natural phenomenon that some trees do fall which can’t be helped. Many dead trees are removed on a regular basis.”
Feasible solution
Environmentalist and actor Suresh Heblikar suggests, “The BBMP should form committees to conduct census and study more about the conditions of the trees in the city. Tar and cement choke the bottoms of the tree. A forest cell should be formed to remove the trees that are dead, uprooted and make sure that the trees are saved and secured as the city too is losing its green cover. Decentralisation of power to safeguard the trees is important.”
“However, two years ago the government had formed a committee comprising environmentalists, BESCOM authorities and other administrative officers to study and deal with unhealthy or dead trees but the initiative failed”, says Suresh.
Vardha: Records in the city
Weather between December 13 and 14:
Bangalore received more rainfall compared to the month of November/December which is 48 mm. Average rainfall during the month of December is 15.7 mm but Vardha broke the records in the city. Maximum temperature recorded on 14/12/2016 is 19.4 degree celsius, minimum being 17.5 degree Celsius. The highest rainfall recorded in the month of December in 68mm.
Meteorological Department Director Sundar Mahadev Metri said, “The situation will improve as the intensity of the cyclone has reduced after making a landfall.”
