BENGALURU: Kaggadasapura lake, that was originally 50 acres, has now shrunk to 38 acres due to rampant encroachments, dumping of solid waste and construction debris, and inflow of untreated sewage. Residents have come together to save the dying lake through a campaign, ‘Save Kaggadasapura lake’, which has been operational since 2017.
Residents alleged that with the help of elected representatives, a part of the lake is being used to construct a park. This apart, residents alleged that in 2018 the Bangalore Development Minister, Dr G Parameshwara visited the lake and assured them that a Sewage Treatment Plant would be built. He also said Rs 8.5 crore would be used to rejuvenate the lake. However, when the project was at the final stage of approval with the Urban Development Department (UDD), with the change of government all the approvals were cancelled.
The team also sent a letter to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on September 16 regarding the illegal encroachments, but did not get a positive reply. “We will be staging a protest to get the attention of the government,” said Jagadish Babu, member of Save Kaggadaspura lake.