Residents of Hoysala Nagar in KR Puram have been spending sleepless nights from the past 10 days. Following heavy rains after September 8, water from the Horamavu lake, close to the locality, has entered many houses. Many people have even left the locality and moved either to their relatives’ houses or have a taken other houses for rent.
Water starting entering houses in Rajanna Layout from September 8, but the situation worsened from Thursday midnight when water level in the houses as well as streets went up to 5 feet. People can hardly walk or take their vehicles out.
“We have lost our property and food grains and are living in others’ house. Children from this locality have missed school,” said S V Vanamala, a resident from Rajanna Layout.
Another resident, Venkataramana, said: “In close to 50 houses water level went up by five feet. We can’t even walk inside the house. Imagine living in a house with five feet of water. We have lost almost everything including, TV, refrigerator, cot, clothes and food grains.
“The local MLA, BDA and BBMP engineers have been coming since Sunday and are monitoring the situation but the problem has not been set right.”
An officer from the BDA said encroachment of the lake was one of the major reasons for water entering the residential area. “Originally, the lake area was 37 acres, but 17 acres of it has been encroached. Since the lake’s size has been reduced to half of what it used to be, areas close to it were flooded,” said Assistant Engineer, BDA, Ashok Kumar.
Encroachment of Rajkaluve too is a reason for flooding. The officer said water level in the area receded after they dug up a trench near a government school to divert water to Agara Lake. Kumar said AT Ramaswamy committee that looked into encroachment of government lands had recommended clearing of encroachment, but the same was not done as the matter is pending before the court.
KR Puram MLA Byrathi Basavaraj said many houses were built on encroached land. “People who are living here are poor. They have purchased sites from others and have built houses. There are close to 350 houses here and a few owners have gone to court, with regard to encroachment and till the case is settled we cannot do or say anything. However, we have dug a trench so that water from the locality can flow easily to Agara Lake.”
Residents, however, do not agree with the officer. “We are staying here from 15 years and are paying taxes, how can this become an illegal layout? Authorities should first consider rehabilitating us,” said an aggrieved resident.