Five gated complexes encircle Bengaluru lake; block public view

Bengaluru: Once open to all, Lower Ambalipura Lake in southeastern Bengaluru is now encircled by five upscale apartment complexes, effectively cutting it off from the public view. 

Though officially a resource of the commons, the waterbody feels more like a private backyard with each apartment complex having direct access to the lake through separate gates. 

It may sound absurd, but the only "common entry" to the lake is through an open stormwater drain. This poses serious questions about access to public resources and accountability in urban planning. 

The lake spans about seven acres and is a treasure trove of birdlife. The pathway around it is shaded by a variety of tree species. The lake — located just a stone’s throw from the busy Iblur Junction on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) — lies close to both Sarjapur Road and Haralur Road. 

Even if you are aware of the lake’s existence, accessing it is no easy task. On one side, it is bordered by 600 acres of military land, and on the other by five apartment complexes — Mantri Flora, Trinity Acres and Woods, SJR Redwood, SJR Park Vista and La Palazzo. The only way to reach the lake is through these gated communities, provided you have the right "connections". 

When this DH reporter attempted to visit the lake, the guards of four of the five apartment complexes denied entry, falsely claiming that there was no entry to the waterbody from their premises. Initially, the security guard at Trinity Acres and Woods, too, denied entry until a local contact — who knew a resident in the apartment complex — intervened. 

"There is no signage or proper entry. Residents of these apartments treat the lake as a private facility and even collected maintenance fees until the BBMP stopped it," a local resident said. He blamed encroachments as well as blind approvals to building plans for cutting off access to the lake. 

The only available entry — through a stormwater drain — is also encroached upon. 

The assistant director of land records, who was supposed to identify these encroachments in September, has repeatedly postponed the survey. "Despite escalations, no survey has been conducted so far. As the overflow drain connecting to Iblur is encroached, some apartment complexes and even Sarjapur Road experience flooding," another resident noted. 

Despite the "restricted access to the lake", the BBMP has allocated about Rs 1 crore for the development of Lower Ambalipura Lake in its annual budget of 2025-26. 

BBMP Chief Engineer Vijay Kumar Haridas acknowledged that the lake lacks proper public access. "After a complaint was raised, we conducted a joint inspection and referred the matter to the Storm Water Drain (SWD) Department. It is possible to provide direct public access from Sarjapur Road by making some provisions on top of the drain," he said. 

The other option, another BBMP engineer said, is to declare the private roads falling under these gated communities "public" but that may be a harsh measure. 

Highlights - Not so common
* 5 apartment complexes surround Lower Ambalipura Lake
* Only common entry through stormwater drain
* Encroachments, blind approvals blamed
* No survey yet to identify encroachments 
* BBMP allocated Rs 1 cr for lake development in budget