Want to preserve lakes? Adopt one

Want to preserve lakes? Adopt one
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Tired of seeing lakes being choked with sewage and rubbish? The Lake Development Authority (LDA) now plans to directly involve citizens in maintaining them. It will soon introduce an ‘‘Adopt a Lake’’ policy for city lakes.

According to the policy, maintenance of a particular lake will be handed over to any organisation that volunteers -- a corporate company or even a residents’ association, for instance. Under the LDA, this group will be responsible for keeping the lake clean and to prevent littering in the vicinity.

‘‘ The biggest hurdle we are facing today is the lack of civic sense in the people. Through this, we would like to appeal to those who live in localities around the lake not to dirty it. The lake is not a garbage dumping point,’’ said LDA chief executive officer B.K. Singh.

The organisation that adopts a lake cannot introduce any commercial activities like boating. However, hoardings displaying the name of the group will be allowed.

The Adopt a Lake policy is yet to be finalised, but the LDA has already received offers from many parties to take it up. ‘‘We are in the process of screening applicants. The policy should not be misused by any agency for its own ends. We want to ensure that the lake is taken good care of,’’ LDA officials said.

For those who want to put the lake to commercial use, the authority already has another system in place, the ‘‘Expression of Interest’’. With this policy, an agency can pay the LDA a certain amount for a fixed period to use the lake. Under conditions that the lake will not be degraded in any way, LDA will allow the agency to conduct activities like boating, water sports and floating canteens on the lake. A portion of the revenue will be paid to the LDA. Also, the organisation cannot construct any permanent structures in the lake area.

Two lakes have already been leased out to developers under the expression of interest policy -- Nagavara Lake and Vengayyanakere Lake. Those interested can contact the LDA on 25590098.