Bengaluru is at risk from repeated floods as unfettered urbanisation and a projected surge in population, along with heavy rainfall, pose a strain on its drainage system, a report by global property consultancy Knight Frank stated.
The report estimated that authorities may need about Rs 28 billion ($338.6 million) to restore storm water drains that have been damaged by rapid real estate development.
Bengaluru, dubbed as 'India's Silicon Valley' for hosting over 3,500 information technology (IT) companies, accounted for 18 percent of all new jobs created in the country in 2021-22, a study found last year.
The economic expansion has brought an influx of people, with the report projecting the population rise to 18 million by 2031, while the area within city limits more than tripled in 2011 to 741 sqkm from 1995 levels.
The built-up area replaced vegetation to commensurately grow to 93 percent of land use in 2020 from 37 percent in 2002, putting "severe stress" on the natural drainage system that channelled water into the city's interconnected lakes, according to the report.
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"Due to climate change, there has also been short duration, high intensity precipitation, further accentuating risks of flooding in the city amidst limited infrastructure to contain the same," the report said.
Citing the example of Mumbai, the report called for Bengaluru's local authorities to formulate a master plan to reduce water-logging in flood-prone areas and ensure the free flow of stormwater.
After its heaviest rains since 2014 last September, parts of Bengaluru were submerged under waist-deep water, disrupting the IT industry and dealing a blow to the southern tech hub's reputation.
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