Is white topping in Bengaluru a boon or bane?

Bengaluru, Sep 07: Bengaluru, India's Silicon City has flooded again. Thanks to rampant corruption, indiscriminate construction, disastrous engineering and incessant rains for the last few days, the IT hub is sinking.

Experts have squarely blamed white topping, once seen as a boon to Bengaluru's pothole menace as the main culprit of flooding.

White-topping is a process where the normal black-top roads or the bitumen asphalted roads are cleared and the roads are given a layer of concrete on top. The concrete used is considered more long-lasting and is believed to prevent the formation of potholes.

Experts say the unplanned white topping has blocked shoulder drains leading to water-logging even on stretches that were not prone to flooding earlier.

Citizens are concerned as road levels have risen significantly, putting business establishments on roadsides in danger of flooding.

If the shoulder drain is not raised to the white-topped level and adequate openings are made to let in water, the condition of Bengaluru could get worse in the coming days.

Bengaluru is witnessing an unprecedented situation where the city has recorded the highest rainfall in the last 32 years.

The torrential rain not only submerged arterial roads, and inundated posh apartment complexes and homes, but also snapped power lines, and resulted in traffic jams. To rescue residents from submerged areas, boats and even tractors are deployed.

Areas including Outer Ring Road near Ecospace, Silk Board Junction, Varthur, Bellandur, KR market, Sarjapur Road, Airport Road, and several parts of the central business district (CBD) have been hit badly due to the heavy rains.