Succumbing to pressure from a series of litigations
on protecting the natural canals and storm water drains (SWD) connecting lakes
and river, the District Administration carried out a survey.
But the manner in which the survey was done, especially on the one leading to
the Chikka Kallasandra Lake, shows the administration's reluctance to execute
the Karnataka High Court order to this effect.
Three years ago, the High Court had ordered the survey of all SWDs, known as
Rajakaluve in Kannada, removal of encroachments in and around them and
subsequent fencing. The Court was also categorical that no polluted or
untreated water should be let into the SWDs. The
legal intervention was critical since these Rajakaluves are the feeder canals
for the lake, besides the Vrushabhavathi and Arkavathi rivers. Simply put,
reviving lakes in the City will be impossible without ridding these canals of
encroachment.
On January 5, the then Deputy Commissioner of Bangalore Urban district, G C
Prakash called a press conference with BBMP Chief Engineer (SWD) to announce
the completion of the SWD survey. He declared that the entire survey sketch
would be handed over to the SWD division of the BBMP. Based on this statement,
an RTI application was filed in the SWD division seeking the survey sketch of
the Rajakaluve in the upstream and downstream of Chikka Kallasandra lake.
BBMP did furnish the survey sketch of the Rajakaluve in the downstream, but
held back information about the Rajakaluve in the upstream. The implication was
clear: The survey sketches super-imposed on Google Earth images show that the
two kilometers long Rajakaluve has been fully encroached upon. An eviction
drive, if carried out, will lead to demolition of a large number of buildings.
In its written reply to another RTI query on the survey sketch of the upstream
Rajakaluve, the Palike’s SWD division had this to say: The application is
forwarded to the Deputy Director Land Records. This official is to provide the
required information.
But yet another RTI query addressed to the Deputy Director of Land Records has
not yielded any information. The application under the RTI Act was filed 60
days ago.
The Palike has apparently another reason to shy away from furnishing more
information: It was instrumental in shrinking the SWD’s size in the lake’s
upstream. Central, State and international bankers’ funds besides the Bangalore
tax payers’ money were used to construct box drains, thus reducing the size of
the Rajakaluve by almost one-tenth of its actual size. The box drain provided a
strong foundation to construct multi-storied buildings exactly on the
Rajakaluve.
Private gardens, garages, apartments, shopping complexes and many other
structures sprang up in the remaining portion.
Survey sketches super-imposed on Google Earth images show that the two-km-long
Rajakaluve has been fully encroached upon.
As per Mr. B. S. Sathyanarayana, ex. Mayor,
Bangalore, The Lake has been fully encroached upon. Houses,
bus shelters and shops have come up. It is shocking that the BangaloreMetropolitan Task Force, an otherwise hyperactive organisation, is sitting idle
despite the encroachment of a government lake. This lake also figures
prominently in the A.T. Ramaswamy committee report.
But Mr. M. Lakshminarayana,
Commissioner, BBMP says, “I am not
aware of the encroachment of Chikka Kallasandra Lake. I will get details from
the lake division of the BBMP. If there is encroachment, we will initiate
measures to clear it.”
However, Mr. Gurappa Naidu,
State Cong Party, has said that without the
involvement of public representatives, such encroachment cannot happen. It is
daylight robbery. he urge the State government to initiate measures to revive
the lake and clear the encroachment at the earliest.
The people’s reaction is different. According to Mr. S RAVI KUMAR, Social activist and
area resident said that Government turning a blind eye to
the lake encroachment raises many doubts. The water table in the area has gone
down drastically. If no action is taken now to save lakes, Bangalore will
become an unlivable place.
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