Bengaluru: Residents see red over lake report

Bengaluru: The legislature committee’s report on lake encroachments has left many anxious. With the panel headed by Speaker K B Koliwad  recommending that the state government take over encroached properties and give them on lease to the occupants, those affected will now not  only have to pay EMIs on their  property loans but also an annual lease amount. 

One affected resident of Horimavu, Vikram Singh , says the move will only help fill the government’s coffers and not reclaim lakes. Although he believes that rejuvenation of lakes is important, he says the damage cannot be undone this way. “It will not solve the problem of lake encroachers. Will it again create a lung space? No! Instead lake reclamation should be done using a PPP model,” he suggests.    

Mr Ram Prasad, co-founder of  Friends of Lake, says had the recommendations of previous reports on lake encroachments been implemented, things  would not have come to this pass. “We want the government to come out with a proper route for rain water to flow in the city,” he underlines, while welcoming the committee’s recommendation on action against officials responsible for the deterioration of lakes across the city. 

But water expert , Kshitij Urs ,is disappointed with the recommendations of the committee, which he doesn’t think will achieve anything substantial even if implemented. “The big fish will not be caught. Although commercial properties that are encroaching on lakes need to be demolished, their owners may register as a charitable trust and get an exemption,” he notes, emphasising that the city needs new lakes to augment its water carrying capacity. 

Lakes and the area encroached 
Hulimavu               19 acres
Kagadasapura       54 acres
Vibhutipura             3 acres
Doddanekundi        2 acres
Horamavu Agara    8 acres
Subramanyapura   11 acres

Over 10,786 acres of lake area have been encroached on in Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts. Of this, 7,531 acres have been  encroached on by private agencies and 3,257 acres by government agencies.