Finally, Vengaiah lake to get a facelift

Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

Bengaluru: Finally, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has commenced the much-delayed developmental works at Vengaiah Lake on Old Madras Road in K.R. Puram Assembly constituency. The works were pending for more than a year despite the BBMP sanctioning Rs 4 crore.

“The allocation of Rs 4 crore was made in 2020, but the BBMP authorities did not take up the developmental works due to the reasons best known to them. All of a sudden, they have arranged a function to commence the developmental works today without informing the residents and lake activists. I hope the BBMP Lakes Department utilises the funds prudently,” said KR Puram Rising president P Purushotham.

The BBMP Lakes Department has decided to construct a sewage diversion drain and silt traps to prevent accumulation of silt in Vengaiah Lake. “We want to complete these works by the end of April this year. Cleaning of weeds along the pathway has begun,” said BBMP Assistant Executive Engineer (Lakes) Ravi.

Expressing gratitude to the BBMP authorities and K.R. Puram MLA and Minister for Urban Development Byrathi Basavaraj for allocating funds, Balaji Raghotham, a lake activist, has said the authorities have to allocate funds for the rejuvenation of Vengaiah Lake and Gangashetty Lake. “We have been demanding for the rejuvenation of lakes for a quite long time. Vengaiah Lake was once a green lake, but now it is full of sewage and weeds. I want the BBMP authorities to allocate more funds for the rejuvenation of lakes,” Raghotham said.

The BBMP Assistant Executive Engineer (Lakes) has said the BBMP Lakes Department has floated a tender inviting the bidders for de-weeding and desilting of Vengaiah Lake at an estimated cost of Rs 8 crore. “The tendering process is in progress,” he said.

The BBMP has also taken up desilting and de-weeding of Gangashetty Lake behind KR Puram Wholesale Vegetable Market at an estimated cost of Rs 4 crore. “Apart from desilting and de-weeding, we will develop the pathway and fence the lake to prevent encroachments in the future,” said the BBMP Assistant Executive Engineer.

However, K.R. Puram Market Association president Yele Srinivas has demanded the BBMP authorities to fix the boundaries of Gangashetty Lake and clear the encroachments before taking up fencing the lake. “What is the use of developing a pathway without fixing the boundaries of the lake? It is an attempt to protect those who have encroached on the lake land,” Srinivas said.

It may be recalled that a portion of the lake land has been encroached, despite being located close to K.R. Puram Police Station and Tahsildar Office. The lake land was misused as a dumping place for all types of debris, including the dust collected by mechanical sweeping machines. Meanwhile, the BBMP authorities have also taken up the construction of a sewage treatment plant at Vibhutipura Lake, at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore. “We will complete the construction of the STP by the end of May,” said the BMBP assistant executive engineer.