At Least 42 Lakes Disappeared In Bengaluru Since 1963, CM Bommai Orders Anti-Encroachment Drives

The recent floods in Karnataka's capital have drawn attention to the encroachment of lakes by government agencies and private individuals. A total of 42 lakes have vanished in Bengaluru since 1963, in which Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) has played a significant role in converting 23 lakes into 3,530 plots.

Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashok stated that 42 lakes have disappeared in Bengaluru, and 28 were "swallowed" by BDA, which led to a conflict between Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress in the Karnataka assembly.

Is BDA The Biggest Culprit?

BDA is accused of converting 23 out of 42 lakes into 3,530 plots by filling them with soil, and several buildings and layouts had been built on levelled lakes.

The 28 lakes were encroached by BDA, five by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), one is BDA authorised, and seven by encroacher, as reported by The Indian Express.

According to Minister Ashok, the construction of layouts on lakes happened in areas such as Rajajinagar (1963), Koramangala (1965), Dollars Colony (1973), Banashankari (1975), Domlur (1977), HAL-I and II (1978), HSR-I and II (1986), BTM (1995), RV I and II (2001), and Nagarabhavi (2001).

CM Orders Anti-Encroachment Drives

Karnataka government has undertaken anti-encroachment drives to clear illegal constructions following the massive floods, which raised questions about the future of India's IT hub. The special task force would see that in the next three to four years, the SWDs are correctly built so the city would not be flooded.

Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai has ordered having sluices in major lakes in all four valleys of Bengaluru-Hebbal valley, Koramangala-Challaghatta Valley and Vrushabhavati Valley.

He said, "We have to remove encroachments, but influential people interfere and do politics. I have ordered an inquiry into the encroachment of lakes and stormwater drains. It will have a judicial official and two technical experts."

The Chief Minister Sri @BSBommai on Monday announced in the assembly that a separate judicial commission would be constituted to look into the matter of encroachment of lakes, buffer zones & Storm Water Drains in Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/8PhyKx8OiI

— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) September 20, 2022

Congress, BJP Conflict In The Assembly

Congress lawmakers dared the BJP government to revert these localities as water bodies. Byatarayanapura MLA Krishna Byre Gowda asked, "Let the government undo what was done by Devaraj Urs and Ramakrishna Hegde governments. By telling 30-40 years old stories, the government is not saying what they want to do now. What's the solution now?"

CM Bommai reading out a note from April 2017 to say that the Cabinet wanted to amend the law to take away public rights over a lake that had lost its characteristics, pointed out that the previous Congress government had moved to close lakes.

Bommai said, "In 2018, the revenue department issued a circular that lakes without water should be removed from maps; it was withdrawn after public outrage."

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