The Lok Adalath on Wednesday pulled up BBMP and BWSSB officials for diverting the storm water drain that used to feed Madiwala Lake. The Lok Adalath, constituted by the high court to safeguard the wetlands of Bengaluru, took up the inspection of three lakes – Madiwala, Arakere and Hulimavu – on Wednesday. At Madiwala lake, the Adalath members found that due to a road construction work on the lake bed, the water channel feeding the lake had been diverted to Agaram lake.
The Adalath has ordered construction of a temporary bridge that would allow the storm water to flow into the lake again. The road is allegedly being built to help some apartments which have come up on the lake bund. “The water at the lake was depleting for the last few months.
Despite rains, the storm water drain, which brought rain water from Bileka Halli, Arakere and surrounding drains, was running empty. When the road came up, the channel was diverted and nobody looked into it. We have ordered the BBMP to reopen the channel, through a bridge or an underground pipeline so that the rain water feeds the lake,” said Mr A.N. Yellappa Reddy, senior environmentalist and member of the Adalath.
He said that at the lake there are oxidation ponds where treated sewage is allowed to flow into the lake. “But due to lack of maintenance, there is a large amount of silt deposited obstructing the flow. Hulimavu lake has some water and channels are in good condition. But more attention is required to revive Arakere and Madiwala lakes.”