Lake under revival covered by hyacinth

BENGALURU: Almost 80 per cent of Hosakerehalli lake, which was being revived by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), is now covered with water hyacinth. Residents feel that the problem of hyacinths could have been prevented if the BDA had taken timely action.

Work on the lake was taken up in August 2016 by the BDA, its custodian. Officials had said that work would be completed by November this year at a cost of `9.4 crore. The lake was desilted too, but in August as rains lashed across the city work had to be stopped.

Joseph Hoover, a member of a group formed to protect the lake, said hyacinth began to grow in the lake when the work stopped following the rains. He had also warned BDA officials about the same.
“I told them that hyacinth would spread all over the lake like algae. They could have removed it then itself. The officials kept saying they would tell the contractors, but nothing was done,” Hoover said.
BDA Assistant Engineer for the area P D Kumar said once the rain subsides, de-weeding would be carried out to clear the hyacinth. He said the additional cost of de-weeding would have to be incurred by the private agency that has taken up the renovation work. Kumar added that encroachments in the buffer zone of the lake had not yet been cleared.“We have done our bit, and have issued notices to the tahsildar regarding the encroachments.”

Chola era monument discovered

In January this year,a stone monument of the Chola era was discovered in the lake bed when the lake was being desilted. This necessitated a change in design in the lake’s renovation. Kumar said BDA has sought approval to relocate Chola structure, now completely submerged, to a space near the lake bund beside NICE Road, so that visitors could view it. The approval is pending with the ASI. Hosakerehalli lake was once spread across an area of almost 60 acres. Rashmi DSouza,a resident of Banashankari III stage, said trucks loaded with construction debris continue to dump it into the lake at night. “Several residents have approached BBMP about this, but no action has been taken until now,” she said.