BANGALORE: The lake development work at Allalasandra, near Yelahanka, is stopped. The reason: delay in posting security guards. The lake remains dry even today. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), in 2009, allotted over Rs 6 crore to rejuvenate the lake. Interestingly, BBMP did not allot the development work of the lake to a single contractor.
The Civic Body allotted the work of removing the silt from the lake, constructing a pathway and developing the lake bund to a contractor at an estimated cost of Rs 1.98 crore. The construction of a compound wall and erecting a fence around the lake was allotted to another contractor at an estimated cost of Rs 1.92 crore. While, the work of constructing an immersion tank, installing lighting and play equipment (for children) was given to another contractor at an estimated cost of around Rs 60 lakh.
The BBMP authorities claim that 80 per cent of the work is complete. Only the work of installing the play equipment at the children’s play area is left. This will be done as soon as the BBMP appoints security guards, BBMP says. “Imagine the situation where miscreants cut into the fence and take the play equipment. The lake badly needs security guards,” said Venkataswamy, Assistant Executive Engineer, BBMP.
But the state of the lake reflects another story. If any one dares to enter the lake to use the pathway from Ambedkar Nagar, he or she deserves an award from the State Government for bravado. The scene of the pathway is disappointing and the bad odour makes you to search for a handkerchief to protect your nostrils.
“The slum-dwellers have converted the pathway into an open toilet. We are planning to increase the height of the fence and post a security guard to prevent slum-dwellers misusing the lake bund,” reasons M Muniraju, Corporator, Yelahanka Satellite Town.
It is also quite shocking to see the apathy of the BBMP authorities in utilising the taxpayers money imprudently. For example, the culvert level and the lake level are the same. The BBMP authorities did not bother to remove the silt from the lake to ensure water flow into the lake from storm water drains leaving a dry lake.
With the lake lying dry for the past four years, the BBMP needs to desilt the lake immediately for the lake to see any water. Worse, many borewells in the lake’s vicinity are now running dry. “If BBMP takes up desilting, the storage of water will increase considerably resulting in an increase in the ground water table in Yelahanka Satellite Town, Allalsandra and Judicial Layout,” says Muniraju.
Meanwhile, Executive Engineer from BBMP Surendra Babu says that a proposal for desilting of the lake and taking up remaining works at an estimated cost of Rs 2 crore has been sent to BBMP. “We are waiting for the BBMP to appoint security guards and sanction `2 crore to complete the remaining work at the lake,” he says.
Will the residents of Judicial Layout, Allalasandra and other areas get to see water in the Allalasandra Lake and a clean and green environment?
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