Lake rejuvenation: Haphazard fund allocation forces officials to rework project report

The government’s piecemeal fund allocation to rejuvenate Doddabidarakallu Lake in Nagasandra has forced officials to revise the detailed project report (DPR), even as encroachment and release of raw sewage threaten the lake’s future.

Situated in the downstream of Dasarahalli Lake, Doddabidarakallu Lake — measured at 40 acres and 17 guntas — was forgotten by the authorities till 2019, when water burst through the lake bund due to encroachment and flooded nearly 500 houses.

The BBMP, which took over the waterbody from the BDA months earlier, spent more than Rs 1 crore in raising the bund and erecting a fence as part of its boundary.

In 2020, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) lake department submitted a DPR seeking Rs 12 crore for the lake’s rejuvenation and development. While initially sanctioning funds, the government then diverted the funds to other projects due to political pressure.

Two years later, Rs 6.5 crore has been allocated now as part of the government’s Amruth Nagarothana scheme. The funds, officials said, were not enough to complete pending works for years.

“Only some parts of the pending works can be taken up but they will not be comprehensive. Poor allocation means lake officials will be able to take up the work in small pieces. They are preparing a fresh DPR to see what urgent works can be taken up,” a source in the BBMP said.

To a question, BBMP Chief Engineer (Lakes) B T Mohan Krishna clarified that the original DPR was being revised. “We are focusing on the urgent works to ensure protection of the lake. We have written to revenue officials to remove the encroachments on the lake. Once the encroachments are removed, it will be easier to take up the works,” he said.

As per the revenue map, the lake is spread over two villages — 23 acres and 21 guntas — in Doddabidarakallu and the remaining 16 acres and 36 guntas in Nagasandra.

Of this, 3 acres and 6 guntas in Doddabidarakallu and 28.50 guntas in Nagasandra were encroached upon, as per the report of the assistant director of land revenue submitted in June 2020.

“Some of the small encroachments have been removed and the recovered area has been fenced. However, others have gone to court and got a stay. The revenue department has to move fast. One of the encroachers has dumped large amounts of soil and other waste into the lake, reducing the water-holding capacity. This will surely lead to flooding,” he said.

Each day counts

Chokkasandra ward committee member Subhash Shetty said every single day of delaying the work would result in the lake’s destruction.

“The lake is dying slowly. Large amounts of sewage is flowing into the waterbody, turning it into a septic tank in some places. The BWSSB, BBMP and revenue authorities need to do their job,” he said.

A BWSSB engineer attributed the flow of sewage to the absence of underground drainage facilities in many private layouts in Dasarahalli Zone. “As usual, sewage is flowing into storm water drains, which connect the lakes. Laying UGD pipes is the only solution to save the lake,” the engineer added.