Bangalore turns into an ocean

Bangalore turns into an ocean
The Times of India

Bangalore: Once upon a time Bangalore was known for its beautiful lakes ... but on Tuesday the entire city resembled an ocean, because the inlets and outlets into its lakes have been cut off, encroached upon and generally swallowed up.

According to the Lake Development Authority, while there were 262 lakes in 1961 in Bangalore’s green belt, today’s statistics are a swizz. Only 81 lakes are now alive.

Swim through this — the Hulimavu Lake near Bannerghatta, now a big bazaar with shops all over — had almost four inches of water. Similarly, the Madivala Lake that was spread across 265 hectares now breeding a bursting populace was sinking under Tuesday’s rain.

Ditto with the Vasanthpura Lake where shanty houses and petty shops were drowning too. Puttenahalli tank was overflowing too, flooding the neighbourhood J P Nagar. As whirling waters entered homes and offices, residents baled out water.

Also with the Lalbagh Lake overflowing by late evening water was all over the road. “With a fall in the open spaces and impervious matter is omnipresent. During a downpour, water flows in all directions, gathers momentum and finds its way only to the low-lying areas causing flooding there,” conservationist Yellappa Reddy had concurred.

Experts also reasoned this kind water logging from a mere 86.5 mm of rain to the encroachments in the outer ring of Bangalore that previously was a huge catchment area. At C V Raman Nagar, Bilekahalli lake too was overflowing and the wall was pulled down to avoid water logging into the Tech Park. Subsequently, water ran into residents’ homes.

LDA CEO B K Singh said that all the lakes and tanks had reached the maximum flood limit and due to the cascading effect, water was entering all the four valleys. For instance, the Hebbal, Nagwara and the Kalkedi lakes join Pennar North and the Benneganahalli, the Madiwala, Agaram and the Bellandur lakes all entered the Pennar South river via Varthur.