BENGALURU: Raising concern over encroachment of lakes in the city, Karnataka Lokayukta Justice P Vishwanatha Shetty has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban District to ensure protection of water bodies.
The direction comes in the wake of Jayaprakash, Joint Director of Land Records, Bengaluru Urban District and Santhosh, Assistant Director of Land Records, Bengaluru Urban District, submitting the report after surveying three lakes based on directions of the Lokayukta. The Lokayukta is hearing the complaint filed by activist HS Doreswamy and others on encroachment of lakes.
In the survey report, it was stated that out of 37.14 acres of Horamavu Lake in Bengaluru East, 1.3 acres were encroached by the government for road, 9.20 acres by two private layouts and more than one acres by landholders.
Similarly, out of 51.34 acres of Agara Lake, 6.35 acres were found encroached by the government for road, 7.25 guntas for BMTC bus stand and some of the land by locals for private buildings. As far as 17.11 acres of Mallasandra Lake are concerned, about 1.04 acres are being used for burial ground, 29 guntas for road, and a portion of the lake is encroached for a place of worship and building houses. Over pollution at Chikkbanavara Lake, the Lokayukta observed that the encroached portion needs to be removed. “No construction or encroachments can be allowed to take place either in the lake area or in the lakebed,” he said.
Lokayukta has asked the Deputy Commissioner to ensure that the tahsildar would take immediate effective steps for removal of encroachments by the end of June, 2019. It has also asked BBMP to take steps for rejuvenating the lakes.