Encroachers may duck law but cannot escape rain rage

Encroachers may duck law but cannot escape rain rage
Deccan Herald

Many prestigious residential layouts developed by BDA are on lakes. Some of these are today called ‘low-lying areas’.

Encroachers of hundreds of lakes in Bangalore might have managed to slip away from the clutches of law, but they will have little chance of escape if Mumbai-like rain hits the city.

Rampant encroachment of hundreds of lakes and waterways across Bangalore by both individuals and Government agencies, including Bangalore Development Authority, Karnataka Housing Board and Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, may prove to be fatal in the event of nature’s fury.

According to N Lakshman Rau Committee report, which is the last Government survey of lakes in Bangalore in 1996, as many as 181 lakes of total 262 lakes were almost completely encroached upon over a period of three decades. Besides, lakes that had survived have shrunk in size – as they have been encroached upon partially from all corners. Presently, there are only 13 lakes in Bangalore city, officials of Forest Department told Deccan Herald .

Lake Development Authority’s statistics reveal that many prestigious residential layouts developed by BDA are on lakes. BDA has encroached as many as 27 lakes to develop layouts like Banashankari V stage (Uttarahalli, Yelachenahalli, Halgevadarahalli, Bikasipura lakes), J P Nagar IX phase (Doddakalasandra, Konanakunte Alahalli lakes), BTM Layout (Madiwala, Arakere, Hulimavu, Roopena Agrahara and Kodichikanahalli lakes), Hennur (Hennur and Byataguntepalya), Jayanagar (Tavarekere and Byrasandra lakes), R M V Layout (Geddalahalli lake) and others.

Besides, lakes like Bilekanahalli, Madiwala, Doddakalasandra, B Narayanapura, Thalaghattapura, Kamakshipalya, Dorekere and many others are converted into residential layouts under Ashraya Housing scheme. “All these areas are now called as low-lying areas,” officials explained.

The Government has converted seven lakes — Saneguruvanahalli, Yelachenahalli, Katheriguppe, Tavarekere Kowdenahalli, Padrikere lakes – into bus stops, offices, schools, colleges and hospitals, while seven other lakes – Nandishettappa, Bovimaranahalli, Arehalli Tank 3, Jarakbandekaval, Nayandahalli, Dasanakere and Chinnappanahalli lakes no 2 and 3 – have just vanished over a period of time.

Though Bangalore’s topography does not allow for water stagnation (as had happened in Mumbai), water logging and inundation cannot be averted in low-lying areas. These areas are previously lakes and wet land and rain water flowing in large quantity is quite natural, said BMP Technical Adviser Jaiprasad.

The city now has just 13 lakes and of them only three – Sankey, Ulsoor and Yediyur lakes – are big ones. “Lakes were built in a way so that they act as a balancing reservoir. Even if a lake overflows, it only used to fill another nearest lake and never used to flood. But the entire system has now collapsed. Hence, there is flooding and overflow of water during heavy rains,” he explained.

“Flooding and water logging is not confined to Mumbai and Bangalore. It is the result of rapid urbanisation. BMP is widening storm water drains to ensure smooth flow of rain water. We may face some problem with Koramangala valley, as it is not steep like other valleys,” he said.