BBMP constructing new road next to lake it had left to die

Even before marking the boundary of the disused Pattandur Agrahara Lake, the BBMP has started laying an 80-foot-wide road right next to this waterbody in eastern Bengaluru.

Local residents are protesting the road construction, saying it violates court orders. The district administration is yet to survey the lake, which has all but lost its characteristics.

The road is touted to connect ITPL Main Road and Whitefield Main Road (State Highway 35), helping reduce traffic on the surrounding smaller streets. It passes through Holy Cross School and Athashri Road.

The BBMP’s road infrastructure division has defended the road construction, saying it was mentioned in the Revised Master Plan 2015. “This is a long-pending project. We pushed the alignment far from the lake after the project was initially opposed,” a senior BBMP official said. He cited roads and bridges constructed next to lakes such as Sankey Tank, and lakes in Benniganahalli, Bellandur and KR Puram to defend the formation of the new road.

Residents say the road falls within the 30-metre buffer zone of the lake.

Interestingly, neither the BBMP nor the district administration has a survey map of the lake. “We are unable to survey the lake as private individuals have brought a stay order from the court laying claim to the lake,” a BBMP official said.

Sandeep Anirudhan, who has been fighting against the project, reminded the authorities about a 2018 high court order, which underlines the land as a tank bed while pointing out that the land tribunal does not have powers to alter the nature and classification of the land. “Just because the lake has lost all its characteristics does not mean that it has lost its legal status, too. The road plan is a total violation of the lake laws. Except for a few builders and politicians, the project helps no one,” he said.

The Bengaluru East tahsildar did not return phone calls seeking comment.

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