Whitefield senior living community battles sewage, rainwater flooding

“Each time it rains, instead of feeling happy about the weather, we, senior citizens, worry because from the parking to the gym, canteen, and the entire ground floor floods with sewage water, posing serious risks,” said Chitra Sampath, a resident of Athashri Apartments, a senior living community in Whitefield.

The flooding has become a recurring problem for the community during heavy rain, with sewage and stormwater entering the premises and collecting in the basement, where the parking area, gym, and canteen are located. Residents told The Hindu that the problem is linked to the way the natural drainage of the area has changed over the years, leaving the apartment complex, which lies at a relatively lower level, without a sufficient outlet for rainwater.

“Pattandur Agrahara lake, located next to the apartment complex, was once the natural collection point for rainwater from the surrounding area. The lake was at a lower point and runoff from the neighbourhood would flow towards it through a rajakaluve (stormwater drain),” Shivaprakash, vice-president of the apartment complex, explained.

Over the years, however, the rajakaluve was blocked and the land adjoining the lake was raised after rubble was dumped there. Residents said the lake can no longer serve the same role in receiving rainwater from the surrounding neighbourhood.

The stormwater drain that had been constructed as part of the work was subsequently blocked with concrete, residents said. With the drain blocked, rainwater that would otherwise have been carried away towards the lake has no clear outlet, Mr. Shivaprakash added.

As the apartment complex is lower than several of the developments on the eastern side of the lake, residents say water from these areas flows towards their building during heavy rain. This is why the compound gets flooded rather than the water draining away from it, Mr. Shivaprakash added.

“From the Corporation Commissioner to the local MLA, Bengaluru Development Minister and others, we have met everyone, but there seems to be no solution to this repeated flooding. The most recent was this week, when Bengaluru received heavy rain during the night,” said Rama Narayanaswamy, another resident.

There is a separate sewage problem in the neighbourhood, residents said. The area to the north-east of the apartment has seen several paying guest (PG) accommodations come up. Residents say these properties do not have access to an underground sewage network and rely on septic tanks. During heavy rain, they say, water from these properties, mixed with sewage, overflows towards the apartment complex. With the stormwater and sewage mixing, the water that collects in the basement is not just rainwater and leaves a strong foul smell, they said.

“The basement houses facilities used by the community, including the parking area, gym, and canteen, and these are affected when the water enters the premises. We have been taking this up with the authorities for the past two years. We have met officials and submitted petitions, but the flooding keeps happening,” said Brig Murthy, another resident.  

When The Hindu reached out to corporation officials, they acknowledged the flooding issue, but said the apartment association could submit its complaint in writing, following which the matter would be looked into.