BENGALURU: The Urban Development Department has proposed to hand over Bellandur and Varthur lakes from Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The proposal was tabled at the NGT committee meeting held in the city on Tuesday. It also placed the proposal before the chief minister and deputy chief minister. The NGT committee accepted the proposal.
UDD Additional Chief Secretary Mahendra Jain told The New Indian Express that the proposal was discussed with Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, who responded positively. Parameshwara will now call for a meeting with BBMP and BDA commissioners to discuss the issue and take a decision.
If the proposal is accepted then BBMP will undertake desilting and rejuvenation works in the two lakes, clear encroachments and deploy lake wardens. So far, BDA has fenced the lakes and installed sluice gates and both BBMP and BDA had deployed lake marshals. An NGT committee member said, “We have no problem as long the work on desilting, weeding and rejuvenating the lakes is done. We were told that BBMP will do the work instead of BDA. Improvement of the lakes is important and we are not concerned about who does it.”
UDD pointed out that since BBMP has the expertise and has rejuvenated 75 city lakes, they should be given the two highly polluted lakes. They also contested that since the state government gives BBMP funds for lake projects, they can take care of the Bellandur and Varthur.BBMP, however, is hesitant to take up works on the lakes. Sources say it will be an additional burden on the civic body as the lakes have already gained international attention because of frothing and fire.