Agara lake is dying after being rejuvenated more than two years ago for Rs 16 crore. Lake activists are blaming the present state to the state government’s decision to hand over all the lakes to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Ask them the reason behind the neglect and the civic officials say ‘no money’.
A few months ago, chief minister Yeddyurappa announced Rs 5 crore for Agara Lake. When activists asked the BBMP to use this money to maintain the lake, they were told that the grant is meant for infrastructural developments at the lake and not for its maintenance. When they asked for an example of such development, they were given the idea of building a retaining wall around the lake to prevent the stench from the major stormwater drain on the Greenview hospital side of the water body.
The present state of Agara Lake is that the BBMP is stationing two guards in the morning and evening, but no guardeners to maintain the water body. Next week, the residents of HSR Layout are meeting the BBMP’s lakes division to discuss the prevailing issues. “The dryness is due to the season; but the lake maintenance will be a problem in the long-term as BBMP has no money,” said one active resident. “The state government is responsible for this state as they transferred the lake from the Forest Department to a highly inept and resource and cash-strapped BBMP.”
A senior BBMP official told Residents Watch that the civic body has asked the state government to give them Rs 90 lakh per year to maintain Agara Lake. If the proposal comes through, the water body would be well taken care of. Similarly, the BBMP has requested the government to let Madiwala Lake continue to be under the Forest Department until March 2020 until the BBMP hires assistant executive engineers to cope up wit the extra work of maintaining 38 extra lakes in addition to the existing 170 water bodies that it is maintaining in Bangalore. “We are not in charge of 205 lakes if we leave 3 other lakes which are just small ponds and not really lakes,” the official said. “We gave the proposal to the government to let the Forest Department continue to maintain both Agara and Madiwala lakes as the revenue from boating could meet the expenses of both the lakes, but the government isn’t listening to us. So we are now forced to take charge of these lakes. But how can we when we have more executive engineers than assistant engineers who we need for all the field work?”
For now, the residents are aghast at the sight of a once-rejuvenated water body that tennis legend Sania Mirza was so excited about. Says HSR Layout resident Nalini Koppikar Ullal: “This morning I had been to Agara lake for a walk and was shocked to see the sad state of plants there. They are withering since they are not watered. The lake too is drying with lot of unwanted weeds growing on the lake bed. This lake is a major ground water source for areas surrounding the lake. We have to revive our lake before it is too late.”
