KHB plot allottees swamped by lake water

Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

If the pathetic condition of a layout developed by Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) is any indication, the prospective home buyers will have to think twice before going for houses or plots developed by the government agencies.

The Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) had developed a residential layout near Hoskote Lake more than a decade ago. It had also constructed around 90 houses for lower income groups, middle income groups, and high income groups at the layout apart from developing residential plots on around 14 acres of land.

A portion of the layout has submerged in the backwaters of Hoskote Lake. “I am of the opinion that the increase of waste water weir bund height is the cause for submerging a portion of the layout. Stagnated water has become a major health hazard for the residents,” said Shobith, a resident.

Expressing concern over stagnated water, Yesudass Raju, a resident, has said that it has become tough for the residents to walk on the crossroads that are submerged with lake water. “The open drain in the layout is overflowing due to the increase in water level in Hoskote Lake. We are not able to cope with the bad smell emanating from stagnated water,” Raju said. He had bought house at the Lower Income Group (LIG) Block.

Sharan Basavaraj, a software engineer who was allotted a house under high income group category, is worried about the mosquito menace caused by water stagnation. “There are many children in the layout. I am worried about their health. It is too difficult to cope with the bad odour emanating from stagnated water. I bought my home for Rs 43 lakh in 2011 and have been residing here since 2016,” Basavaraj said.

Meanwhile lake activists blame the KHB authorities for the lack of vision while developing a layout and constructing houses on land adjacent to the water body. They said the Hoskote Lake has been existing for more than a century and the KHB Layout was developed a decade ago. “There is nothing wrong in increasing the height of waste weir bund. All these years, water level in the lake remained three to four feet. Now, the water level has been increased due to the increase of waste weir bund height,” said Balaji Raghotham, a lake activist.

Expressing concern over the plight of the residents, Nagabhushan C.S., a lake activist from Hoskote, has opined that the KHB authorities should not have developed a layout on land adjacent to a lake.

Meanwhile, Minor Irrigation Department engineer Manjunath has assured to look into the matter. “I have received information about a portion of KHB layout submerged with lake water. I will visit the spot soon,” he said.