Silicon City is bracing for inevitable flooding

Significant encroachments on stormwater drains

1,134 instances of stormwater drain encroachments

Silicon City is bracing for inevitable flooding due to ongoing rains and significant encroachments on stormwater drains across city. With nowhere for the water to flow, the situation has reached a critical point. In the past eight months alone, there have been 1,134 instances of stormwater drain encroachments within the jurisdiction of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Builders have illegally constructed buildings on stormwater drain lands, causing water to seep into low-lying areas. This issue will only worsen with continued rainfall, threatening to flood roads and create widespread disruption. Last season, similar flooding made national headlines, yet promised actions to vacate these encroachments remain unfulfilled.

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Currently, there are around 1,963 encroachments, both new and old. The Yelahanka zone tops the list with 308 new encroachments. Other affected areas include East (24), West (74), South (51), Koramangala Valley (110), Mahadevpur (75), Bommanahalli (175), RR Nagar (71), and Dasarahalli (246).

Despite BBMP’s assurances of clearing these illegal structures, the process has been hampered by legal challenges. Property owners have obtained court stays, protecting 149 buildings from demolition according to BBMP’s data.

The city’s resilience is now being tested as authorities grapple with both judicial hurdles and the looming threat of severe flooding.