Hulimavu Lake breaches in Bengaluru, thousands flee; BBMP announces Rs 10k compensation

It was a nightmare for the residents of Hulimavu in the south-eastern part of Bengaluru after Hulimavu Lake breached leaving thousands of people homeless. This is the third time a lake breach happened in the city due to the maladministration of the civic authorities.

The lake breached at around 2.30 pm on Sunday (November 24) flooding nearly 900 houses and apartments in Hulimavu, Arekere and BTM layout. The lake is spread across 130 acres of land and is one of the largest water bodies of Bengaluru, which houses several species of birds and fishes surrounded with seven layouts on low-lying areas.

According to the reports, the breach took place due to an unauthorised pipe-line work by a Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) contractor and water entered nearly 120 houses in Krishna Layout, 100 houses in downstream Avani Sringeri layout and 150 houses in Royal Residency.

The contractor had taken up pipe-laying work on the lake bund without permission from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike. Corporator of Arakere, Bhagyalakshmi Murali has filed a complaint at Hulimavu Police Station against the BDA contractor, who fled the spot after the breach.

NDRF, BMRCL rescue people

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) were the first, who came to rescue the people living in the low-lying areas of the lake bed who were stranded after the water gushed into their houses. People had to flee from their houses with their family due to the intense flooding in the area with water between 2-4 feet inside the buildings.

BBMP commissioner BH Anil Kumar said that three theories are doing the rounds over the lake breach: A private contractor had taken up work without authorization; fishermen damaged the bund, and BDA was at work. He said that a compensation of Rs 10,000 will be immediately given to the families affected by the lake breach.

The commissioner also tweeted from his official twitter handle saying that the "BBMP will coordinate with Food and Civil Supplies, Revenue Department to help provide duplicate documents to those who lost them in the Hulimavu flooding," read the tweet.

BBMP had overtaken the management of Hulimavu Lake from the BDA three years ago. The residents of the area claimed that BBMP has not paid any attention towards maintaining the lake and this is the third time the lake has breached since 2011.

Third lake breach in 2 months

This is the third time an area has been flooded due to the misgovernance of the civic authorities this year. Most of the layouts built near water bodies have encroached and during monsoon season a majority of these areas are waterlogged due to the poor management by the government agencies.

In October, Doddabidarakallu Lake in the city was breached after a pipeline work by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) weakened the levee and water gushed through a gap flooding the area. Hosakerehalli Lake in South Bengaluru also breached on November 10, because of the poor maintenance by the BDA and incessant rain.