Building livable cities is one of the most complex tasks in the world. Many planned cities seldom go on as planned, but the cities that have stood the test of time are those that have evolved organically with some farsighted builders taking charge and changing their destinies.

Bengaluru has over the centuries been lucky with far-sighted city builders, who transformed a barren track of land into a salubrious city by building over a thousand inter-connected lakes and 842 kms of storm water drains, which helped convey excess water from one lake to another. However, the short-sightedness of the current generation has allowed this wonderful life- saving mechanism to be plundered for the greed of a few builders.

The result is rampant encroachment of the storm water drains and many of the lakes, leading to rampant change of hydrological flow of rain water and flooding of many developed areas. The gross mismanagement of the storm water drains has converted this life- saving structure into a life -taking one. Over a dozen lives have been lost over the years in the flooded drains and every monsoon shower reminds us of the death- traps they have become.

The question is how many more people will have to die before the administration wakes up to the need to manage these drains better and protect them from the clutches of vested interests. In an age when a 100 satellites can be launched together, why cannot Bengaluru desilt its drains and free them of encroachments?

– Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO, Namma Bengaluru Foundation