Bengaluru rain: 150-m wall collapses after drain blocked, triggers flooding

Many residents indianexpress.com spoke to said a large volume of rainwater flowed from Sampigehalli Road towards Provident Harmony and neighbouring properties during the day’s heavy rain, eventually cascading into the apartment complex “like a waterfall”.

‘Quarry debris disposed of in stormwater drain’

Swapnil Bansal, a resident, said a stormwater drain passes through the Provident Harmony premises and is meant to carry this water onwards to the Sampigehalli lake. But a private land behind the complex is obstructing the drain’s path.

With the outflow blocked, large quantities of water accumulated behind the apartment complex. The pressure eventually breached the boundary wall, sending floodwater rushing into the property, he added.

Sources said there was a small stone quarry located next to the apartment complex and the land was allegedly allocated to a trust. “The trust downsized the stone quarry and disposed of the debris and mud into the stormwater drain, which led to the stoppage of the water flow. There is no provision for the drain water inside Provident Harmony to flow into the lake. This has been filled with mud, leading to the accumulation of water, which resulted in the wall collapse and the flooding of the apartment complex,” a source said.

According to the residents, the flooding was part of a broader problem. They warned that unless the obstruction blocking the path to the Sampigehalli lake is identified and cleared, Provident Harmony and neighbouring properties will remain vulnerable every time the region sees heavy rainfall.

“This is not merely an apartment-level flooding issue. It points to a larger stormwater drainage connectivity problem,” Mithun Madhavan, an engineer and resident, said, adding that the obstruction needs to be addressed before the next spell of heavy rain.

Executive Engineer Sachin H P said the apartment complex is located just 30 metres from the buffer zone. “There is no continuity for the drain, which led to the incident. The surveyors visited the place on Thursday morning, and we will divert it,” he added.

Minister’s virtual meeting with top officials

Also on Wednesday, Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda instructed officials to take precautionary measures to prevent flooding-related incidents.

“Engineers across the GBA jurisdiction and the Fire and Emergency Services must remain fully prepared to deal with any situation,” he said at a virtual meeting with the Greater Bengaluru Authority chief commissioner, the commissioners of all five municipal corporations, and other officials.

“There is a possibility of heavy rainfall in the western, northern, eastern, and central parts of Bengaluru over the next two to three days. The Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority has issued an alert in this regard. Officials must remain vigilant and take all precautionary measures before any rain-related incidents occur,” he said.