The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) plans to issue fresh instructions to builders while constructing basements for parking.
BBMP’s Special Commissioner (Projects) Ravindra PN said, “Many cars were damaged and drowned during the recent flash floods in the Bengaluru. This calls for a review of the construction. So, we are planning for a system where the building plan can be evaluated based on the location.”
He added that if the building is being constructed in a low-lying area which is prone to flooding, then during the sanction plan, the builder can be told to increase the height of the basement so that there is no flooding or damage to vehicles parked in the basement.
However, as a first step, now BBMP is asking all the buildings with basements to have a water pumpset. This pumpset is needed to flush out the water stored during rains.
During last week’s rainfall which caused havoc in the Bengaluru, many basements were flooded. Since many houses/apartment complexes with basements didn’t have pumpsets, people dialled the BBMP control room for help. However, as Palike had limited pumpsets, timely help was not provided. As a result, many vehicles which were drowned in the water for a long time had technical issues and had to be fixed.
As per the Central Government’s guidelines on building construction, the basement should have the following requirements: every basement shall be in every part at least 2.5 metre in height from the floor to underside of the roof slab or ceiling and with maximum height not more than 4.5 metre.
Temporary shelters to be set up
Like north Karnataka, Bengaluru may soon have temporary shelters to provide rehabilitation for people affected by floods. Ravindra said, “During the recent rainfall, we observed that many homes were flooded and people had to shift to their relatives’ homes. So, we have now been asked to identify schools, colleges and community halls in every constituency.”
He explained that these places will be kept as standby spaces so that they could shift people affected and provide them temporary accommodation and food for a day or two till the situation was under control. Ward-wise disaster relief teams with members from fire, forest, BESCOM, BWSSB and BBMP will also be a part of it.
If the building is being constructed in a low-lying area, the builder can be told to increase the height of the basement–Ravindra PN, BBMP’s Special Commissioner (Projects)
Majority of potholes unrepaired
Bengaluru has an official count of 11,092 potholes now. Ravindra said, “So far, 11,092 potholes have been surveyed under ‘Fix My Street’ app. Out of these, 5,119 potholes are in the process of being fixed. BBMP officials claimed that their mission was to fix maximum potholes before the onset of monsoon. However, as of now, it looks unlikely.”
The reasons for this according to him were: the incessant rainfall in Bengaluru was hampering the pothole-filling work. With rainfall predicted for a few more days, the work may get delayed. Meanwhile, many residents were also alleging that the potholes were not filled scientifically and as a result, they were resurfacing.
However, Ravindra claimed that the civic agency was doing a good job. He also claimed that the recent white-topped roads were of good quality and during their survey, they found least damage to those roads.
