BENGALURU: Alert residents stopped a tractor dumping construction debris into Banaswadi Lake, raising concerns over safety of the water body. “This is deeply concerning. While significant efforts are being made across the city to restore and rejuvenate neglected and dying lakes, the very agencies entrusted with protecting public assets appear to be facilitating their degradation. The site, which was recently recovered from encroachments, cleaned, and fenced, is now being used as a dumping ground. The fencing has been damaged, and the area is rapidly deteriorating due to the continuous dumping of debris,” said Christopher Cruz, a resident.
The residents urged for security like deployment of home guards and marshals, installation of CCTV cameras and beat police for protection of such places. It is said, owners in nearby areas engage contractors to remove the construction debris as well and instead of taking the debris for MI sand manufacturing unit on city outskirts, the tractor drivers however dump on road side or near lake and buffer zones.
“Debris dumping not only undermines the restoration work already undertaken but also poses environmental risks and encourages further misuse of public property, “ said a resident and added, the reduced water body currently is around 12 to 15 acres and is dry. If neglected, the land sharks will gobble the remaining one.
Officials from Bengaluru North City Corporation (BNCC) said the lake is still under revenue tahsildar’s ambit. “We have had a correspondence with tahsildars’ office and we will again follow it up. Once the lake is taken into the civic body’s custody, we will fence the area,” said an official.