BENGALURU: Despite Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) issuing warnings to cattle owners not to allow their animals inside lakes, many continue to allow their cattle to graze in wetlands and along lake boundaries. Palike lake division officials say they will now file an FIR against such owners.
Bhuprada, Executive Engineer (Lakes), Mahadevapura zone, said in Vignan Nagar ward, miscreants damaged a fence to gain illegal entry into Vibhutipura Lake at night, and now, cattle owners are taking advantage of it and letting dozens of cattle into the lake in the morning hours.
“We had taken a cattle owner named Ravi to the police station. Instead of filing an FIR, HAL police warned him and let him off. Within a few days, he was back to his old habit of sending cattle into the lake,” the official said.
We will now demand that police register an FIR if a complaint is filed about unruly cattle owners allowing their animals into lakes, the official said. To end the menace, BBMP is constructing a concrete wall on the Vibhuthipura side and will add a steel fence near Vikas Park side of the lake, she added.
Walkers and activists say that owners who cannot maintain cows, find it easy to send their animals into the lake from morning to night. “The owners are only interested in milking the cow but don’t invest in feed and other needs, so they allow animals to graze in wetlands. After a few warnings, BBMP should mercilessly catch and release such animals in government gaushalas to bring fear among such owners,” said an activist.