An overflowing lake due to excessive rain and ill-maintained drainage channel has pushed students to wade through the water overflowing from Samanthamalai lake here in Kundarapalli.
The lake is drained by the waters of Markandeya river that has been receiving an increased inflow due to the rains in Karnataka. The waters of Markandeya river discharges into Samanthamalai lake and the lake water is discharged through drainage channel into Bayanapalli lake.
On Thursday, the waters of Samanthamalai lake overflowed along the Kundarapalli-Samanthamalai road due to slowed drainage from the lake.
According to Chinnayan, spouse of the panchayat president Rani, who spoke on her behalf, there were encroachments along the drainage channels shrinking the width of the discharge system.
This, however, has come to hurt the students, who are forced to wade through the waters in their uniforms and shoes to cross to and from the government high school here. The school has over 700 students from the neighbouring villages.
“Students are affected on the one hand, and on the other, vehicles are unable to pass through the road with the waters gushing out of the lake. A small bridge over the road would help the students and the public at large,” says Mr. Chinnayan.
