<p>A day after it was accused of dumping hundreds of truckloads of mud in the middle of Hosakerehalli lake, the BBMP publicly denied building a road through the waterbody. </p>.<p>Evidence on the ground, however, suggests that the civic body is lying through its teeth. </p>.<p>On Tuesday, the BBMP put up a poster at the site claiming that it is only creating temporary mounds of mud for removing debris and silt from the lake located in southwestern Bengaluru. </p>.<p>“From Hosakerehalli lake, no permanent road will be constructed inside the lake. Only temporary mounds of mud are being prepared for the movement of tippers and machinery for removing debris and silt. After removal of silt, the temporary mound of mud will be removed,” reads the poster replete with typos. </p>.<p>Local residents say that mounds of mud condensed by earthmovers have nearly bisected the lake, reducing the water-holding capacity of RR Nagar’s popular waterbody. They believe that the BBMP is trying to build a 25-foot-wide road through the lake to help the residents of a premium apartment complex. They also believe that the poster is intended to confuse them. </p>.<p>Multiple sources said that the poster was an attempt to “hide” the truth.</p>.<p>According to them, no road-like temporary bund is required for trucks that move inside the lake to desilt it. </p>.<p>The BBMP did not even obtain mandatory prior permission from the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA) to desilt the lake or create wetlands. </p>.<p>No work pertaining to the lake, including dewatering or de-silting, can be done without the KTCDA’s approval. </p>.<p>Sources in the KTCDA said that the BBMP had so far submitted detailed project reports (DPRs) for the rejuvenation of 36 lakes in Bengaluru. “Hosakerehalli lake is certainly not one of them,” a top source said. </p>.<p>Residents feel the BBMP is trying to fool the public.</p>.<p>“A 25-foot-wide road with a height of 10 foot is not needed to desilt the lake when the very purpose of desilting involves removing the silt,” said Joseph Hoover, a conservationist from RR Nagar. He said that when he visited the lake again on Tuesday, trucks were busy dumping soil into the lake. </p>.<p>Raghavendra Rao of the Hosakerehalli Lake Conservation Forum opposed the work and asked for restoring the lake to its original condition before the monsoon arrives. </p>.<p>Shilpa, BBMP assistant executive engineer in charge of the lake, did not respond to phone calls seeking comment. </p>
<p>A day after it was accused of dumping hundreds of truckloads of mud in the middle of Hosakerehalli lake, the BBMP publicly denied building a road through the waterbody. </p>.<p>Evidence on the ground, however, suggests that the civic body is lying through its teeth. </p>.<p>On Tuesday, the BBMP put up a poster at the site claiming that it is only creating temporary mounds of mud for removing debris and silt from the lake located in southwestern Bengaluru. </p>.<p>“From Hosakerehalli lake, no permanent road will be constructed inside the lake. Only temporary mounds of mud are being prepared for the movement of tippers and machinery for removing debris and silt. After removal of silt, the temporary mound of mud will be removed,” reads the poster replete with typos. </p>.<p>Local residents say that mounds of mud condensed by earthmovers have nearly bisected the lake, reducing the water-holding capacity of RR Nagar’s popular waterbody. They believe that the BBMP is trying to build a 25-foot-wide road through the lake to help the residents of a premium apartment complex. They also believe that the poster is intended to confuse them. </p>.<p>Multiple sources said that the poster was an attempt to “hide” the truth.</p>.<p>According to them, no road-like temporary bund is required for trucks that move inside the lake to desilt it. </p>.<p>The BBMP did not even obtain mandatory prior permission from the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA) to desilt the lake or create wetlands. </p>.<p>No work pertaining to the lake, including dewatering or de-silting, can be done without the KTCDA’s approval. </p>.<p>Sources in the KTCDA said that the BBMP had so far submitted detailed project reports (DPRs) for the rejuvenation of 36 lakes in Bengaluru. “Hosakerehalli lake is certainly not one of them,” a top source said. </p>.<p>Residents feel the BBMP is trying to fool the public.</p>.<p>“A 25-foot-wide road with a height of 10 foot is not needed to desilt the lake when the very purpose of desilting involves removing the silt,” said Joseph Hoover, a conservationist from RR Nagar. He said that when he visited the lake again on Tuesday, trucks were busy dumping soil into the lake. </p>.<p>Raghavendra Rao of the Hosakerehalli Lake Conservation Forum opposed the work and asked for restoring the lake to its original condition before the monsoon arrives. </p>.<p>Shilpa, BBMP assistant executive engineer in charge of the lake, did not respond to phone calls seeking comment. </p>