BDA spends Rs 4 crore on Ullal Lake, abandons it

Bangalore: Ullal Lake, located between Magadi Road and the Outer Ring Road near Jnanabharathi campus, is a living and dying example of Bangalore Development Au­thority’s apathy.

The lake was rejuvenated and developed by the BDA in 2009-2010 at a cost of Rs 4 crore. It was fenced, walkers and joggers tracks were created, streetlights installed and even a ticketing counter for boating was built, but the only thing that the lake did not have was water. It has been over three years, and the water body has dried up with barren lake bed spread across 10 acres.

A few sewage lines from the neighbouring areas have been polluting one side of the lake, while weeds have completely covered the other side.

The BDA finished the work in 10 months flat, only to abandon it later.

Whenever the residents of Visvesvaraya Layout and environmentalists raised their concern, the BDA passed the buck to BBMP.

“As per the rule book, the BDA develops lakes and hands it over to the BBMP for maintenance. But in the case of Ullal Lake, the handing over did not happen, for reasons unknown” said Jayaram B., Deputy Conservator of Forests, BDA.

According to the area residents and other sources, an audit objection was raised against the callousness and negligence of the authorities in not maintaining the lake after spending crores of rupees of tax-payers’ money. 

Reacting to the objection, the BDA is now planning to pump one million litres a day of treated water from the sewage treatment plant near Malathalli Lake into Ullal Lake.

The water will be pumped for a distance of 2.5 km for about a year for reviving the lake. 

“Once we get the approval from the board, we will call for the tender, and this project will be executed at the earliest. The cost of the water pumping project is being quoted at Rs 1 crore and 7 lakhs and it should take not more than three to four months for the project to start,” said Jayaram.