BBMP requests approval for Hosakerehalli lake development after causing damage

The BBMP earlier this week sought approval from the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA) to “develop” Hosakerehalli lake, after nearly destroying the waterbody by dumping truckloads of soil.

The move has put the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in a spot as it did not follow due process before undertaking improvement works in and around the lake.

The civic body needs KTCDA’s prior approval for lake development. This requires a review of the BBMP’s Detailed Project Report by the authority, a measure introduced due to local bodies’ neglect of the vital role lakes play in recharging groundwater, instead treating them as tourist attractions.

The BBMP’s latest plan, valued at Rs 14 crore, reveals that the civic body intends to desilt the lake, build a walking path, clear encroachments, and fence the boundary. It also wants to complete work to build a retaining wall.

The KTCDA is likely to knock off some of the proposals since they may fall outside the scope of improving the waterbody.

Last month, DH carried two reports describing how the BBMP was dumping truckloads of soil in Hosakerehalli lake that would reduce its water-holding capacity.

Residents reported on Wednesday that the BBMP had employed earthmovers to extract soil from the lake; however, they expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of work. They were also concerned that the soil was pushed to the edges causing it to spill back into the water.

V Ramprasad, convener of Friends of Lakes, said desilting lakes is an inadequate measure unless the BBMP simultaneously tackles the problem of sewage discharge into these waterbodies.