BENGALURU: Of the 204 lakes in BBMP area, 131 are encroached, and only 20 are completely free of any kind of encroachment, says a detailed document on encroachment of lakes. With both government and private parties responsible for the condition of lakes today, they have been converted to 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. 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.