Where in heaven is our lake?

The only things that remind JP Nagar residents of this water body are a run-down fence and some faded memories
VISHWADHA CHANDER

Bangalore is quite short of almost everything –short of roads, short of homes, short of water,short of drainage systems,short of buses.. And now short of even toilets!!

This is the story of a neglected lake in one of Bangalore’s upcoming areas, a cradle for big builders and their residential enclaves. The area in focus here is the Jaraganahalli Lake in JP Nagar 7th phase.The road adjoining the lake, a little more than a kilometre long, makes for a wonderful jogging track. Unfortunately,the jogger’s dream-path has remained a dream for over three years now.

Moving a little onto the ‘banks’ of the lake, one finds high heaps of garbage-plastic bottles, beer bottles, broken slippers, rags and pieces ofcloth; you may even stumble on the carcass of a dog.

And god help you, if you actually try looking for the lake.

You wouldn’t know where it is unless you were standing on it. Coming under the forest department and surrounded by the department’s blue green fence that is in a miserable condition, the lake is covered with water hyacinth, making it look more like a neglected field. Unable to stand the stench, when you finally decide to turn away,you encounter more filth –human excreta. The lake isused for public conveniences early in the morning!! And the stench is unbearable.

We are aware of what all this means – pollution, multiplying germs, loss of aquatic life.Ask residents what they thought of the situation and Bangalore’s famed complacency comes up shining. “We are used to this. Our area is like this only,” was the refrain.

However, we did chance upon a few different responses.Raju (name changed), a peon in a private firm said he had complained to the Bangalore Development Authority once,but his plea fell on deaf ears.

It is disappointing to know that these are the same residents who had once stopped the procession of former chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy,and demanded that the road be laid. Most residents are lying low, as they do not know whom to approach.

OFFICIAL SPEAK

Sources from Lake Development Authority (LDA) said,”The lake was cleaned up a few years back. We have not received any complaints from the residents.”