14 people managing 48,000 natural tanks across Karnataka, says Ramachandra Gowda

Belagavi: Mr Ramachandra Gowda of BJP made a startling revelation in the Legislature that a mere 14 people were managing 48,000 natural tanks across the state.

Raising a question on the Lake Development Authority (LDA) on Wednesday, he said the authority came into being in 2014 with a view to protecting all surviving lakes/tanks. But only 14 people were working in this authority as against 96 sanctioned posts. With this number was it possible for the government to protect all water bodies when they were being encroached upon in urban and local bodies, he asked.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs and Minor Irrigation Minister T.B. Jayachandra said that LDA had been constituted to protect and develop tanks within limits of Bangalore Development Authority and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Tanks in rest of the state come under Tank Development Authority (TDA) which came into being just two years ago. The Finance Department had denied permission for new recruitments but had agreed for redeployment of men from other departments. The TDA was finding a suitable place to set up office permanently. The government had provided Rs 100 crore in the budget last year and had already prepared an action plan for conservation and protection of lakes.

He said 3767 tanks come under Minor Irrigation Department, around 32,000 tanks under Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and quite a number under forest and Water Resources Departments. Karnataka Lake Protection and Development Authority Act has been given power to remove encroachments and develop and protect lakes.