Hosakerehalli Lake cries for attention

Hosakerehalli Lake cries for attention
Vijay Times

BANGALORE, which once boasted of having several hundred lakes, does not have more than 50 lakes now.

Experts and water conservationists in the City blame the absence of concern in people for the sad state of affairs.

"While everybody is interested in knowing about the availability of drinking water, only a few, if at all any, are concerned about lakes disappearing from the City," an expert lamented.

Several lakes have dried up because of subsequent governments not taking adequate measures to protect them.

The negligence of the officials has made encroachers bold. They have taken over areas which once had lakes in them.

While some have been encroaching upon the space meant for lakes in the name of forming new layouts, there are others who do it under the pertext of laying roads.

Fortunately, non government organisations (NGOs) have been protesting against such moves and have been trying to save the water bodies.

Water conservationists lament that despite two departments, namely the Lake Development Authority and the Forest Department, having been assigned the task of maintaining the lakes, most of the existing water bodies continue to be in a bad state.

The Hoskerehalli Lake, spread over 60 acres of land, is one such lake.

Experts pointed out that if the lake, which is full of silt, is desilted and maintained well by these departments, it could be turned into a beautiful tourist spot.

"People, who once used the water from this lake for drinking purposes, are now scared to even use it for other purposes," Chandrasekhar, a member of an NGO, said.

"The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) is also to be blamed. The BMP vehicles have often been seen dumping garbage here. The place has turned into a dumping yard. If the civic body itself destroys the beauty of the lake, then what can one say," he asked.

With sewage water being let into the lake from nearby places, the lake has turned into a breeding ground for several diseases.

Will the departments take necessary action to restore such water bodies to their original state? Only time will tell.