BBMP ‘encroaches’ lake

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The BBMP is giving the Forest Department a hard time by refusing to dismantle a road it built as a temporary measure on a lake.

The road was built by the BBMP on the Puttenahalli Lake near Yelahanka last year after the Forest Department gave temporary permission, for just six months, in 2009. The BBMP had said that a temporary road was necessary so it could finish road widening and bridge building work.

Once the work was completed, the BBMP wrote to the Forest Department, on June 13, 2010, saying that the temporary road would be removed. This it has not done to date. The road is obstructing the flow of water in the channel that feeds the lake.

The waste weir of the lake passes through a small bridge and during the widening of the Yelahanka-Doddaballa-pur Road, a wider bridge was constructed.

During the construction, two pipes were attached at both ends of the waste weir to allow water from the storm water drain to flow into the lake. The problems of the forest department only escalated after a drainage pipe flowing near the waste weir was damaged in the construction.

“We are unable to sit in the office since many months. The BWSSB and BBMP have been informed about the damage and leakage, but nothing has been done so far. If this is the response another government agency is getting from BBMP, I can imagine the plight of commoners in the city.

Though the road widening is over, the BBMP has not responded to any of our correspondences for the past 12 months,” lamented a forest officer from Yelahanka.

Puttenahalli is one of the prominent lakes in North Bengaluru that attracts thousands of birds during the migratory season. Any structure on a waste weir is considered to be hazardous for the lake’s ecosystem as any obstruction could cause flooding in the areas around the lake.

The lake used to be managed by the BBMP, but two years ago, the ownership of the lake was handed back to the forest department, which also runs a nursery on the shores of the lake.

PCCF-General Avani Kumar Varma said that the matter will be directed to the concerned officers and talks will be resumed with BBMP in this regard. “Puttenahalli Lake is an important bird habitat and we will ensure that the lake is restored to its original state,” Mr Verma said.