Palike’s contingency plans under fire

BENGALURU:  The torrential rain had left Bengaluru marooned and claimed lives which spark a question, especially ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s visit, whether the BBMP is capable of handling emergency situation.

BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said that all storm water drains have been cleared and eliminated chances of major incidents. “The Palike’s efforts of clearing the drains in advance have paid off since only a few low-lying areas have seen flooding,” Girinath said, adding that in some places like the Pai and Sai Layouts and other areas, the stormwater drains are being developed which may take some time. 

However, urban expert Ashwin Mahesh has a different opinion and said that Palike has zero preparedness but only a response mechanism for such situations. “Can you imagine that Palike has no contingency plan for emergencies at night. They claim there is a plan but are exposed when crisis arises.”  

According to reports, CM Basavaraj Bommai, Revenue department and the Disaster management held a meeting a month in advance just before monsoon arrived. The Deputy Commissioners were instructed to keep personnel and equipment ready to handle flood-like situations and prepare community halls to convert it to temporary shelter during floods.