Eight hundred houses were inundated on Sunday in Bengaluru after the bund of Hulimavu lake off Bannerghatta Road breached. More than 1,000 families were affected and over 300 cars submerged. The lake waters flooded houses at Krishna Layout, DLF Road, Saraswathipura, Avani Sringeri Nagar, Royal Residency Layout, and BTM Layout 4th Stage.
Many residents of BTM Layout, Hulimavu, Avni Sringeri Layout took to Twitter to call out for help from the authorities as water gushed into their compounds. The lake’s tank bund collapsed at Krishna Layout, near Meenakshi Mall in Bannerghatta Road. More than 193 people have been rescued so far by two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed in the area. Shelters were set up at an indoor badminton court, Ambedkar Bhavan, and Sai Baba Ashram. Pumps were used to clear basements of houses of water.
By late evening, NDRF personnel were able to stop the flow of water by covering the breached bund with 300 truckloads of mud.
As reported by a source to Indian Express, The preliminary probe said an overzealous contractor who had undertaken works in the lake without taking precautionary measures was responsible for the breach. The contractor had gone ahead with the civic works without a green signal from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.
This is the third time a lake has been breached in two months in the city. While the breach of Doddabidarakallu lake in October was attributed to heavy rainfall. The Hosakerehalli lake on November 10 and now Hulimavu lake are allegedly the result of contractors tampering with the bunds.
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