Latest news with #KasturinagarWelfareAssociation
Time of India
5 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
How alert Bengaluru resident prevented late-night flooding in Kasturinagar
1 2 Bengaluru: Timely intervention by a resident at 1.40am Monday helped drain out stagnant floodwater in Kasturinagar, where around 30 houses were inundated after heavy rain Sunday night. Three main roads — I Main, IA Main and II Main Road — in the east Bengaluru locality were partially submerged that night, leaving cars damaged, sump water contaminated and residents struggling to manage the aftermath. The root of the flooding was traced to a blocked inlet connected to the northern portion of Benniganahalli lake. Abijith MS, who leads the youth wing of Kasturinagar Welfare Association, rushed out around 11pm after his house was flooded. On inspecting the stormwater drain, he found a massive pile of mud dumped near the inlet, blocking flow of rainwater into the lake. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru One of the tracks of the suburban rail project passes between northern and southern parts of Benniganahalli lake. "I reached out to one of the site staffers from the railways, and they got the pile of silt removed, helping rainwater to flow into the lake. Within 30 to 40 minutes, water level drastically reduced and houses haven't flooded during Monday and Tuesday's rain." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Secret Lives of the Romanovs — the Last Rulers of Imperial Russia! Learn More Undo While the immediate cause was the blocked inlet, residents and civic groups say the long-standing problem is lack of desilting on the northern side of the lake. According to the welfare association, multiple letters have been submitted to BBMP and the lakes department over the years — including two in the past month. — BBMP chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao visited the area earlier this year and directed officials to take up the work. Nora Menezes, president of Kasturinagar Welfare Association, said: "While desilting work may take time, we at least want the pathway to be cleared." According to a BBMP engineer, blockage caused by the railways was the direct trigger this time. But on the desilting issue, a larger bureaucratic confusion over land ownership has stalled progress. "According to our records, that part of the land where the lake is situated falls under the railways. However, just two days ago, the divisional railway manager submitted a survey claiming the land falls under BBMP. We are in the process of cross-verifying ownership," the engineer said. "Even if the lake land doesn't fall under BBMP, we are open to taking up desilting work, provided the railways give us a no-objection certificate and official approval," the engineer added.
The Hindu
14-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Once in neglect, Channasandra lake gets second lease of life
Residents rejoice in the inaugural event as collaborative efforts to revive lake pays off Around 9 a.m. on Saturday, a crowd of around 100 took to the streets of Kasturinagar in East Bengaluru. Members of the Kasturinagar Welfare Association (KWA) and the residents danced, while women and children dressed in green and white were holding placards, as they made their way to the B. Channasandra lake. Once spanning about 19 acres in area, the lake over the years shrank to 6.3 acres due to neglect, dumping of garbage and construction debris, and sewage flowing in. As Bengaluru faced one of its worst droughts in 2023, the KWA and the residents united to revive the lake that had been long neglected. June 14 marked the formal inauguration of a revived B. Channasandra lake, which N. Ravindrakumar, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bengaluru, termed as a testament to the work put in by the residents of Kasturinagar. The invite to the event, too, was along similar lines. 'When people come together, nature finds its way back,' he said. 'Initially, a group of 100 volunteers decided to contribute ₹1,000 every month as we began to work on the lake,' said Abhijith N.S., a KWA volunteer. Initial work involved desilting the lake using a tractor and heavy machinery as garbage was removed and the land was levelled along the waterbody. A compound wall was later built around the lake. As the project grew in size, KWA collaborated with Hands on CSR, an NGO that helped with funding, and CGI, a software company, that helped release CSI funds which was necessary to complete the project. Since the lake came under the Karnataka Forest Department, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) was issued by Mr. Ravindra Kumar as work began from October 11 last year. The excavation lasted around five weeks as further desilting and desludging were done. The estimated cost of the project totalled ₹1.15 crore with a three phased funding. The project faced a few challenges. 'Sometimes, we received threats from real estate agents who had their eye on the land, but thanks to the Forest Department, everything went smoothly. We aim to preserve and make this as a forest lake,' Mr. Abhijith said.
