Rains breach Hosakerehalli lake; BDA blamed for mess

The Hosakerehalli Lake in South Bengaluru breached in the wee hours of Sunday following incessant rains.

This is the second such incident in less than a month since the breach of Doddabidarakallu Lake in North Bengaluru.

Spread across 60 acres, Hosakerehalli was chosen by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to store rainwater runoff in Bengaluru South zone. But inordinate delay in the execution of planned works owing to political stalemate and shortage of funds triggered the worst crisis on Sunday, affecting hundreds of families and commuters from Bengaluru South.

Mayor Gautham Kumar blamed BDA for the mess.

According to sources in Hosakerehalli, the lake was breached around 2.45 am following night-long heavy rains due to an upper cyclonic air circulation over peninsular India. With rainwater washing away part of the bund, stagnant frothing water mixed with sewage gushed into houses and commercial establishments in the surrounding areas.

BBMP Commissioner B H Anil Kumar rushed to the spot around 4 am and met the affected families.

Blaming the BDA, Mayor Gautham Kumar said, "It is only because of the poor maintenance by the BDA that the lake has breached. A bund measuring about 10 feet in one corner of the lake has been completely washed away. The BDA engineers, while working on strengthening the bunds, have not attended to it, resulting in the mess. I have called for an emergency meeting tomorrow involving BBMP, BWSSB, BDA and NICE officials to decide on the future course of action."

The engineers filled in the breached part of the lake bund, trying to strengthen it by dumping sandbags and soil dug up from the adjacent land.

Shivakumar, a resident of Hosakerehalli, said, "It was not a heavy rainfall... we have seen even worst. But nothing happened in the past; we have been living here for over 20 years. The lake has filled to the brim on several occasions. But it has become a mess due to the shoddy job of BDA."

(With inputs from Tanvi Rajesh)