'Slothful' water board dampens BMRCL's will to revive lake

The Kengeri lake is unlikely to be rejuvenated any time soon, due to the lack of co-operation between the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

BMRCL officials claim that the “negligent” attitude of the BWSSB had put a spoke in the wheel of the project. The former had been entrusted with the development of the lake in 2012.

Documents sourced through the Right to Information (RTI) Act show that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) handed over the lake, on Mysore Road, to the BMRCL after a meeting of the high-power committee on October 9, 2012. Between May and June 2013, the BMRCL took over the lake.

The BMRCL, in September, 2013, wrote to the BWSSB, asking it to lay underground drainage (UGD) lines, all along the western side of the Kengeri lake bund and that the work has to be completed within the stipulated 45 days.

“No action has been taken to lay the UGD lines and sewage water continues to enter the lake from the apartments and other buildings. We met BMRCL officials recently and they said that unless sewage water is not diverted and UGD lines are laid, they cannot take any action to restore the lake,” said Yeshwanth Konduru and Nagasravan Kilaru, two students of RV College of Engineering, who had applied for information under the RTI last year to know about the ownership, status and other details of the lake.

K Nagaraj, a BWSSB official, told Deccan Herald that he is yet to look into the issue.
“It is true that UGD lines are yet to be laid. I will check with the higher officials about that.”

Konduru said they have learnt that the BDA had prepared an estimate of Rs 4.68 lakh for maintenance of the lake.

The estimate for 2012-13 includes creating bund along roadside, night patrolling and maintenance of children’s park. But the work was never executed. The BDA officials were unavailable for comment.