Six months after eight-year-old Geethalakshmi was washed away in the storm-water drain following heavy rains at Bilekahalli, the Lokayukta, who is looking into a complaint of negligence in this regard, has directed both the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to consider Rs. 10 lakh compensation in such cases.
According to a communique, the direction was issued earlier this month at a meeting chaired by Lokayukta Y. Bhaskar Rao along with officials from the BBMP and the BWSSB. The Lokayukta has now sent the proceedings of the meeting to BBMP administrator T.M. Vijay Bhaskar and commissioner G. Kumar Naik for early compliance.
The communiqué stated that the Lokayukta had directed both the BBMP and the BWSSB to close all defunct borewells. BWSSB officials have been asked to take up repairs of all manholes by the end of the month. While the BWSSB chief engineer has been instructed to take stock of those that require repairs and those repaired, officials have to also put up signage to caution pedestrians about manholes that require repairs.
BBMP officials have been directed to fence open drains and put up cautionary signage. That apart, the commissioner has been instructed to direct the heads of corporation schools to close all openings of sumps on school premises, the communiqué added.
