BANGALORE: The residents of Kowdenahalli are a happy lot. Reason: MLA Nandish Reddy has taken up restoration of the Kowdenahalli lake, which has been neglected for a long time.
Most residents appreciate the MLA for being proactive and believe that the lake will have facilities at par with other developed lakes such as the Ulsoor lake and Sankey tank in the city.
Recently, the clearing of weeds was taken up and the lake is expected to regain its lost glory soon.
However, some citizens concerned about the environment and the protection of government land, question the negligence of the concerned authorities to recover the encroached portion of the lake. It was alleged that one politician played a key role in allotting 10 acres of land belonging to the lake (RD135/88 on February 22, 1988) to St John’s Junior College for Girls, Millers Road.
“There is a government order banning allotment of government land for private purpose. The government land can be utilised only for public purpose, and certainly not for private use. The government also allotted 35 acres and eight kuntas of land belonging to the lake to the Forest Department,” said Noor Ahmed, president, Service India Trust.
The Lake Development Authority has put up a board saying the lake is the government’s property and trespassers will be prosecuted. It also states that polluting the lake is an offence under the Water (Prevention and Control Pollution) Act, 1974.
Many senior citizens complain against the alleged encroachment by an advocate. “The concerned authorities are yet to recover more than two acres of the encroached land from him.
They were in a terrible hurry to recover the land from a farmer, but there are delays to apply same yardstick for the advocate,” said a senior citizen on condition of anonymity.
Will the authorities concerned take the initiative to recover the encroached land and make the lake a lifeline for the people of Kouwdenahalli? We have to wait and watch. THE residents of Kowdenahalli are a happy lot. Reason: MLA Nandish Reddy has taken up restoration of the Kowdenahalli lake, which has been neglected for a long time.
Most residents appreciate the MLA for being proactive and believe that the lake will have facilities at par with other developed lakes such as the Ulsoor lake and Sankey tank in the city.
Recently, the clearing of weeds was taken up and the lake is expected to regain its lost glory soon.
However, some citizens concerned about the environment and the protection of government land, question the negligence of the concerned authorities to recover the encroached portion of the lake. It was alleged that one politician played a key role in allotting 10 acres of land belonging to the lake (RD135/88 on February 22, 1988) to St John’s Junior College for Girls, Millers Road.
“There is a government order banning allotment of government land for private purpose. The government land can be utilised only for public purpose, and certainly not for private use. The government also allotted 35 acres and eight kuntas of land belonging to the lake to the Forest Department,” said Noor Ahmed, president, Service India Trust.
The Lake Development Authority has put up a board saying the lake is the government’s property and trespassers will be prosecuted. It also states that polluting the lake is an offence under the Water (Prevention and Control Pollution) Act, 1974.
Many senior citizens complain against the alleged encroachment by an advocate. “The concerned authorities are yet to recover more than two acres of the encroached land from him.
They were in a terrible hurry to recover the land from a farmer, but there are delays to apply same yardstick for the advocate,” said a senior citizen on condition of anonymity.
Will the authorities concerned take the initiative to recover the encroached land and make the lake a lifeline for the people of Kouwdenahalli? We have to wait and watch.