Additional canal being dug up to facilitate excess water to flow out

Mysore/Mysuru: Continuous seepage of water from the bund of Kukkarahalli Lake on the Bogadi-Gaddige Road has caused concern and environment activists have warned of disastrous consequences if the seepage is not prevented immediately.

“The Kukkarahalli Lake bund is essentially an earthen dam. Seepage of water through the earthen body of the dam (at the lower level, just above the level of the Bogadi Road) removes finer particles of earth. This can only increase the rate of seepage and lead to further loss of earth from the body of the bund, affecting the structural integrity of the bund,” Maj. Gen. (retd.) S.G. Vombatkere told Star of Mysore this morning.

“If seepage continues, it can lead to collapse of a section of the bund. Such a collapse will be disastrous, leading to loss of life and property, besides the loss of the water body (the Lake) itself and the associated biodiversity,” he said.

On the measures to be undertaken to prevent seepage, Vombatkere said that there are standard ways of dealing with the seepage problem and the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), District Administration and University of Mysore (UoM) must act immediately to stop seepage. “Apart from adopting immediate measures to check seepage, the civic authorities need to urgently take heed and be prepared,” he added.

Seepage is a grave issue and must be resolved urgently, said S. Shylajesha, a green activist. “The 150-acre Lake was constructed by the Wadiyars 130 years ago mainly for drinking water purposes and the bund is as old as the Lake and was able to withstand the pressure of stored water till now. As the water body is located in the heart of the city and surrounded by residential and commercial areas, the authorities should not neglect it and take immediate corrective measures,” he added.

A coordinated effort from the MCC, District Administration and the UoM must be made to ensure the safety of the residents and also must ensure that the Lake is not damaged as it is the only lung space for the city centre that supports a rich biodiversity.

Meanwhile, the University engineers are creating one more canal for the Lake water to drain into the Raja Kaluve that links to the lake on Nanjangud Road. This canal will carry excess water from the lake in case of additional rains and inflow, said engineers.

Earthmovers are being used to dig the 500-metre canal and the work is expected to be completed by this evening. This canal will be an additional drain apart from the sluice gate on the Bogadi Road bund that was recently repaired for the water to drain out.