Rejuvenated lake gives Ulsoor a new life

TIMES CIVIC — 16 ULSOOR
Rejuvenated lake gives Ulsoor a new life
The Times of India

Bangalore: Two years ago, the whole of Ulsoor got a new lease of life, metaphorically and literally. Fresh water flowed into the area as the lake was desilted, dried and resuscitated.

With stagnant water, buzzing mosquitoes, low-lying roads and layouts, and instances of r i s i n g crime, the area was a v i r t u a l hell on earth. But today it has seen tremendous progress, say residents and area representatives.
Why, as old-timers explain, the area has really grown out of the lake — offices are set up based on the proximity to the lake, real estate boom based on picturesque views. Circa early 1900s it is said that many a British soldier lost his life whilst trying to tackle the weed-choked shallow lake.

A lake for good or bad, a huge slum and its fisticuff-dwellers: How has Ulsoor, which formed the starting point of east Bangalore, fared in all these decades?

Explains corporator M Saravana: “The lake is the most important part of Ulsoor. Recently, the water was changed and fresh rainwater has flown in. During the rains in 2005, the retaining wall around the lake crumbled and a new one has been built. People are thankful that stink and mosquitoes no longer plague the area.’’

As for civic problems, take a ride from Trinity Circle to Lido theatre to Cambridge Layout or beyond the Sai Baba Temple, you will encounter potholes, scarred interior roads and a poor drainage system. And small layouts, like Cambridge layout with its 3 main roads and 7 cross-roads, Nala Road, Jogupalya get inundated with every bout of rain.

Explains Saravana further: “These areas get water-logged because there is no place for the water to flow out. Construction of Chalaghatta valley will ease the flow and gradation. Once this is done, all of Bangalore will be helped.’’
Funds to the tune of Rs 76 lakh for roads, sanctioned a year ago, will be used this year.

MLASPEAK
Slum is a problem
“The biggest problem right now is Munivenkatappa Garden slum. It is a large area, where the drainage is clogged, roads are not laid and there is no sanitation system.” These slums were allotted to them long ago and so it is difficult to displace them now,’’ says Nirmal Surana, MLA for the area.