A mud road built alongside Bilwaradanahalli lake in Bannerghatta, Bengaluru, collapsed while a lorry was passing on October 10, sending the vehicle into the lake and forcing the driver to jump clear, according to a report by Prajavani.
The incident occurred within the Bannerghatta gram panchayat limits of Anekal taluk during work to develop the lake. Soil had been placed along both sides of the lake bund to form the road. The road surface gave way when the lorry approached, causing the driver to lose control and the vehicle to overturn into the water.
The driver escaped by jumping from the lorry as it tipped towards the lake. No injury to the driver was reported in the source report.
Local residents spent about two hours working to pull the lorry out of the lake. The report said the lake work was being carried out with funding from a company’s corporate social responsibility programme.
Residents alleged that soil had been placed along the lake edge without adequate technical planning. They also said the absence of a retaining wall created a risk of vehicles tilting towards the lake, particularly while using the temporary road formed during the construction work.
The incident places attention on the safety of temporary access roads created during lake improvement projects. The available report does not specify the agency responsible for the road design, the contractor implementing the work, or whether a formal safety inspection had been conducted before vehicles were allowed to use the route.
