'Shoddy work brought down Varthur mesh'

Local residents say “shoddy work” by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) led to the collapse of a steel mesh that was erected at Varthur Kodi to prevent foam from flying onto the road.

But the BDA, which is the custodian of Varthur lake, said the mesh collapsed because of haphazard vehicular movement. BDA executive engineer Veersingh Nayak said an earthmover had damaged the mesh which was brought down by strong winds on Wednesday.

The 20-foot-high mesh had been put up by the BDA two weeks ago to prevent foam from flying onto the busy road. Nayak said the damaged portion of the mesh would be fixed in two days. The BDA will also reduce the height of the mesh by four feet.

Residents, however, say the mesh is of poor quality as foam comes onto the road and the surrounding localities during rainfall. Jagadish Reddy Nagappa, member, Citizen Warden Committee, Varthur, disputed the BDA’s claim that the mesh was damaged by an earthmover. He said the BDA had started fencing the lake but the work was too slow.