The construction work for the wall will be taken up after the Ejipura flyover work is completed, said a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagra Palike (BBMP) official.
The lack of a wall alongside the open drain in Koramangala first ‘A’ main road poses a threat to pedestrians who use the footpath alongside the drain.
Lekha, a tea stall owner near the drain said, “I fear that my children might fall into the drain as they tend to play near it while I attend to the stall.” “The tangled live wires on the ground along with a pile of garbage also poses danger for us to walk on the footpath,” said a commuter.
According to BBMP guidelines regarding the regularisation of poles, the Optical Fibre Cables (OFC) must be five meters above the ground level so that it does not interfere with the movements of pedestrians or vehicles near electric poles.
An official from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) engineering cell said, “We will work on building the wall as we are notified about the issue.” She added that the delay in the construction is due to an issue with distribution of funds for this project. “We will begin the work once the ongoing flyover project in Ejipura is completed,” she said.
According to a report from Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Koramangala is one of the major sewerage valleys in the city which requires constant safety checks. “Ensuring solid waste management and pedestrian safety near any drain valley or sewerage plant is the responsibility of BBMP,” said Geeta, a Storm Water Drain (SWD)engineer from BBMP East Zone.
A resident association committee member said, “In 2021, the drain had overflowed due to heavy rains, resulting in the drainage water flooding into the nearby apartments. After several complaints from the resident association committee in Koramangala, the BBMP had built a barrier on one side of the drain.”
In 2022, another resident welfare committee in the area had suggested construction of tall barriers on both sides of the open drain to prevent garbage dumping and overflowing.
An official from the BWSSB sewage plant management said, “Open drains are possible grounds for hazardous factors. They have to be checked often in order to ensure safety for residents in the area around the drainage lines.”
Vikram Bhat, Principal Architect and Urban Designer said, “Each drainage line must be 20 meters away from residential areas. Encroachment on the buffer zones is not allowed. There is no specific length to build a wall but a basic barricade must be put in residential areas.”
