Future tense for Sankey Lake

Future tense for Sankey species
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Wild life around Sankey Tank in the city may loose its natural habitat if a proposed residential complex comes up in the area.

The project being marketed amidst alleged land ownership controversy would render homeless an estimated 150 species of birds apart from damaging the local ecosystem, Sharat Babu of People for Animals (PFA) says.

PFA has made representations to the Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) and the State government to stop the development because as per new rules, any project costing more than Rs. 50 crore will have to get an environmental clearance from the Centre.

The land on which the mega-apartment complex is proposed to be built also has its share of ambiguities. Six of the 7.14 acre was owned by the Mysore Industrial Testing Limited, which sold the property to Indian Detonators Limited (IDL) in 1967.

In January 1974, the Karnataka Forest Department gave 1.4 acre to IDL for their detonator depot provided it was not sold or sublet and with a rider: If the company ceased to exist, the land would revert to the Department.

However, by an order issued in March 1974, the condition of sublet and reselling was nullified by the Department.

Meanwhile, IDL transformed into AstraIDL and into Astra Zeneca making the identity of IDL a bit hazy.

A new company, Gulf Oil, has occupied the space and a Forest Department order dated 30.06.2004 -(A6(5) GFL: IDL:03-04) asked why the 1.4 acre of land should not be taken over by the government.

The Department has not received any reply so far. Ownership of 1.4 acre is crucial because FAR regulations are relaxed if the land area is seven acres and a shortfall of 1.4 acre can affect the project.