BENGALURU: The Bengaluru district administration is yet to clear encroachments in 960.32 acres of lake land in Bengaluru Urban District. According to the Encroachment Removal Task Force at the Bengaluru deputy commissioner’s office, five taluks of the Bengaluru Urban district have 837 lakes, covering an area of 27,597.34 acres. Of that, 4,554.10 acres had been encroached for the last decade and the DC’s office managed to clear 3,593.17 acres.
The DC’s office is planning to intensify the drive during weekends and public holidays to prevent owners from approaching courts to get a stay, sources said. “Of the 188 encroachments in water bodies in Bengaluru Urban district, we have cleared 107 so far. As per procedure, notices have to be sent to encroachers and time has to be given.
Violators, however, take advantage and approach courts to get a stay. That is the reason lake encroachments have still remained uncleared.” said a source from the DC’s office. Recently, Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda chaired a meeting on land encroachments in Bengaluru Urban District and directed Deputy Commissioner KA Dayananad to come out with an action plan to clear them.
“We could not do much of late because of festivals and the preparation for the PM’s Bengaluru visit. Once we come out with an action plan, the drive will be conducted meticulously in the five taluks,” said a senior official from the DC’s office.
Former Lake Development Authority chairman Dr. UV Singh said that a designated officer looks into these aspects of lake encroachment under the Karnataka Tank Development Conservation Authority rules. There should also be an authorisation officer who checks the documents. He/she also has to hear from the aggrieved party (encroacher) before passing orders to get the encroachment cleared.
However, the government has not appointed these officers and supporting staff. Encroachers take advantage of it and approach courts to drag the case, he added. “There is a constitution and relevant acts. If they are implemented, officers appointed and rules followed, the encroachers cannot go to court and drag the cases,” Dr Singh added.