BENGALURU: Of the 204 lakes in BBMP area, 131 are encroached and only 20 are completely free of any kind of encroachment, according to a detailed document on encroachment of lakes in and around the city.
Both government and private parties are responsible for the condition of lakes today, with encroachments by the Central Jail, a tahsildar's office, roads, hospitals, government housing layouts, slums and factories.
BBMP released the document, which says that 159 lakes are being encroached by various government institutions alone.
A total of 941 acres have been encroached by various entities, with only 38 acres being cleared so far. BBMP has removed encroachments from Ulsoor Lake and several other lakes in Yelahanka, RR Nagar, Mahadevapura, Dasarahalli and Bommanahalli zones.
The encroachments extend across Bengaluru, with institutions like Bengaluru Central Jail, BBMP-run buildings and offices, BDA layouts, railway infrastructure, and NICE Road encroaching the lakes.
Notably, the four lakes in JP Park have seen large-scale encroachment by roads, Railways and the park itself, totalling about 90 acres. Similarly, around 36 acres of 58 acres in Kowdenhalli Lake are encroached, making it the biggest such lake, according to the report.
Behind it are Hebbal Lake and Venkogirao Lake, with 28 acres encroached. Kowdenhalli Lake has been encroached mostly by private schools, colleges and a church. However, a majority of encroachments at Hebbal and Venkogirao Lake has been encroached by government entities, like a BDA layout and roads, as well as a crematorium.
According to the report, only six lakes in Bengaluru are being encroached by private institutions and slum-dwellers and 19 lakes around Bengaluru are in disuse and being used for other purposes. A total of 401 acres have been encroached by the government, while 269 acres are being encroached by private institutions, including slums.