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Bengaluru Lakes Threatened by Road Expansion Projects
2 Nov
Summary
- Activists urge halt to road projects impacting lakes and buffer zones.
- Concerns raised include flooding, groundwater depletion, and green cover loss.
- Authorities assure no parks or lakes will be taken for road works.
The Federation of Bengaluru Lakes (FBL) has formally requested the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to pause all infrastructure projects that could impact the city's lakes, wetlands, and their buffer zones. Concerns articulated by FBL highlight the potential for heightened flooding, significant depletion of groundwater resources, and a reduction in essential green cover. These apprehensions stem from GBA's proposed road circulation plan, which reportedly includes alignments through sensitive areas like Lalbagh Botanical Garden, various lakes, and forest lands.
The FBL has submitted a detailed representation to the GBA's climate action cell. They argue that activities such as road widening, construction of tunnel roads, and the installation of underground drainage and sewage treatment plants within lake vicinities could severely disrupt the city's natural water management systems. This disruption, they warn, would diminish Bengaluru's resilience against flooding and heatwaves.
Officials from GBA's urban planning departments have indicated they were not consulted in the creation of the road circulation plan, suggesting it may have originated from the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). Meanwhile, GBA chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao has assured the public that no parks or lakes will be encroached upon for road construction. He stated the plan aims to alleviate traffic congestion by expanding the road network, particularly on the city's outskirts, and stressed that the current proposals are open to objections and may contain errors.
