Why Bengaluru’s civic body dumped mud on the Hosakerehalli lake

What is the issue around Hosakerehalli lake?

The lake located in Rajarajeshwari Nagar has been in need of restoration for the last few years. Though it was de-silted in 2017, it started receiving untreated sewage. In early March this year, residents living in the vicinity of the lake saw BBMP trucks dumping huge mounds of mud into it.

The 25 feet-wide mud road on the Hosakerehalli lake in Bengaluru. (Express Photo)

On March 21, wildlife conservationist Joseph Hoover posted videos on social media that a 25 feet-wide road has been constructed on the lake utilising the mud.

In response to the questions posed by the local residents, Shilpa, BBMP executive engineer (lakes), said that she was not aware of such works. However, with mounting pressure, on March 21 the BBMP put a flex banner outside the lake’s boundary.

It stated, “From Hosakerehalli lake no permanent road will be constructed inside the lake. Only a temporary mound of mud is laid so that tippers and machinery could move to remove silt. After removal of silt, the temporary mound of mud will be removed (sic),” adding that the road had to do with work regarding the rejuvenation of the lake.

Why did the BBMP build a mud road?

On March 23, senior officials from BBMP, including special commissioner (project) Ravindra PN, visited the lake. Ravindra said that he would direct the officials to remove the temporary road.

“I was not aware of the formation of a temporary road on the lake. I have directed the officials to remove the mud from the road. The directions were given to divert sewage lines passing through the lake so that the water body does not receive untreated sewage,” he said.

While the lake was de-silted in 2017, Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA Munirathna said its health was impacted by the accumulation of silt for over 200 years and a temporary road was built to carry out restorative work.

What are the larger concerns around the lake?

Spread over 59.36 acres, Hosakerehalli lake receives untreated sewage from the stormwater drain (SWD) connected to it. An SWD is meant to receive water from rains and direct it in a channelised manner away from roads to prevent waterlogging and flooding. But at times, due to improper management of waste, these drains become clogged. Encroachment of areas around them also leads to the dumping of waste in SWDs and the water bodies into which they discharge rainwater.

Issues of encroachment and improper dumping of waste have been flagged in other areas of the city, too. In 2022, the Karnataka High Court stated that the flooding that had happened in parts of Bengaluru in September was a result of the municipal corporation’s failure to remove encroachments from waterbodies and storm-water drainage systems. The HC ordered the Karnataka government and the BBMP to take immediate steps.

Out of the total extent of Hosakerehalli lake, six acres have been encroached on by a private body and 0.26 acres have been encroached on by the government.

Local residents claim that the lake’s condition has worsened in the last three years.

“The waste collected from houses and poultries is dumped in the lake. Even the medicinal waste is dumped here. The untreated sewage from Sapthagiri layout enters the lake. The borewells have been dug on the lake bed. The funds which are released in the name of funding to restore the lake are not being utilised. In the past we had approached the BBMP to deploy marshals (security personnel of the BBMP) at the lake so that nobody dumps garbage but even this did not happen,” said lake activist Ram Kumar BK.

In December 2022, 10 trees on the banks of Hosakerehalli Lake were felled without seeking the permission of the BBMP forest department. It was then speculated by environmentalists that a road would be constructed to facilitate access to a luxury apartment complex in the vicinity. Officials from the BBMP forest cell stated that the trees were chopped without their permission and they were not aware of the reason behind the felling of trees.