Bengaluru, May 19: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar today said that the BBMP has fixed 70% of the 210 flood prone areas identified in Bengaluru city while work on the remaining 30% areas is going on.
Speaking to reporters at the BBMP war room, he said, “We had identified 210 areas as flood prone in Bengaluru. Ever since I took over as the Bengaluru Development Minister, we have fixed flooding issues in 166 (70%) of those localities. Flood prevention work is currently going on in 24 areas while work would be taken up soon in the remaining 20 areas. We have built 197 km of storm water drains.”
“The traffic police have identified 132 spots which are flooded during heavy rains. Of these, we have rectified issues in 82 spots and 41 spots are yet to be fixed. We are spending Rs 2000 crore for storm water drains,” he explained.
“Rain is controlled by nature while we can only try to control the controllables. We are rectifying flood-prone areas and are trying to help the common people. There is no need for people of Bengaluru to be worried about rains. Unfortunately, a woman died due to a wall collapse,” he added.
“Quantum of rainfall has been very high in Silk Board junction, Hebbal and Yelahanka area. Underpass works are underway in a couple of places in these areas and they have been flooded. We will work with those departments to resolve these issues,” he said.
Kumaraswamy is desperate
Asked about Union Minister Kumaraswamy’s statement that it was ‘Looter Bengaluru and not Greater Bengaluru’, he said, “Kumaraswamy and BJP leaders are desperate. He is upset that he can’t joker in government formation.”
Asked about BJP’s criticism that DK Shivakumar was a real estate developer, he said, “I will respond to it another time and on another platform. Call R Ashok and leaders of the Opposition, let’s have a debate before the media.”
I am ready for a discussion
Asked about Opposition’s criticism that Greater Bengaluru has become ‘Water Bengaluru’, he said, “They can’t just hit and run. Let them come for a discussion with their list of grievances, we will show them the number of issues we have resolved in Bengaluru.”
Asked about Opposition parties’ criticism that Congress party was responsible for Bengaluru’s woes, he said, “Let them introspect what they have done for the city during their tenure. We have resolved flooding in 70% of the identified areas and we are working on the rest. Bengaluru is not an organised city and yet we are doing our duty.”
When asked if the BBMP has plans for flooding in Bengaluru, he said, “We had a plan and our officials have done good work. I am happy about it. Officials are working at the affected areas as we speak.”
Asked if road widening could solve flooding, he said, “Road widening is expensive. Flyovers and tunnels are the only solution. We are also looking at alternative routes. We have allocated more than one lakh crore rupees for metro work, construction of peripheral ring road and Bengaluru development in general.”
Asked about encroachment by Manyata Tech Park, he said, “Some people have moved court regarding that. We had alerted the Disaster Management teams as well. Flooding has been cleared by making temporary pathway now.”
