Residents blame poor fencing around lake for kids' death

Residents of Bachappa Layout, KR Puram, have blamed the lack of safety measures in and around the Devasandra Lake for the drowning of two children there recently.

Darshan, 8, son of Ram Babu, an autorickshaw driver and Venkatesh, 12, who had come to visit his aunt in Darshan’s neighbourhood had slipped in the lake while playing and drowned. Residents maintain that this is not the first time such an accident has happened in the lake.

“There were three to four cases of children drowning, a few years ago. The lake is only partially fenced. The sides of the lake are left open, inviting danger. After dusk, there are chances of people slipping and drowning in the lake. Neither the BBMP nor the Lake Development Authority have taken steps to fence the lake,” said Srinivas, a resident.
 
To make things worse for residents, a few labourers have been involved in desilting the lake in the past one month. Babu received Rs 5,000 as compensation, after much persuasion and follow up with the local MLA and corporator. He said had there been proper fencing around the lake and security staff deployed, this incident would not have happened. Satyavati, Darshan’s mother, said: “ No child should die the way Darshan and Venkatesh have. I request the concerned authorities to fence the lake to avert any tragedy in future.” 

Work mysterious

It is a mystery as to who is carrying out desilting work in Devasandra Lake. When BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana was contacted, he said, “None of the officials from the Palike is undertaking any work in the lake as it is rainy season. In fact, no government agency initiates work in the lakes during this month.”

When one of the BDA engineers was contacted, he denied any work happening at Devasandra Lake. The Lake Development Authority officials were not available for comment.