Construction on lake bed: Notice served on JNCASR

Construction on lake bed: Notice served on JNCASR
Deccan Herald

The LDA has issued notices to JNCASR and MEG for carrying out construction in lake bed areas.

Close on the heels of the Jakkur lake issue in which the Bangalore Development Authority had started forming sites in the lake’s catchment area, the Lake Development Authority has chanced upon two more construction activities on what it says are lake bed areas.

In the first case, a notice has been served on the Jawarharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) for construction on Rachenahalli lake within Byatarayanapura CMC limits. Consequently, all construction activities on the specified land are on hold.

According to JNCASR officials, 18 acres of land was allotted to them by the Revenue Department, two months ago. “It is this revenue land that we intended to enclose,” said Mr A N Jayachandra, Administrative Officer, JNCASR, asserting that JNCASR was not doing anything illegal. Reacting strongly to queries in this regard, Mr Jayachandra said that JNCASR was as concerned about maintaining ecological balance as anyone else. “In fact we have won awards for the ecological balance in our campus,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr B K Singh, Chief Forest Officer, LDA said, “We have asked the Special Deputy Commissioner of Bangalore to conduct a survey and determine whether the aforesaid land is lake land or not. Based on the report we will decide our next course of action.”

Notice to MEG

In another case, the Madras Engineering Group (MEG) has been issued a notice for similar activity on the Kadarampalya lake on Survey Number 99 of Binnamangala village.

While brushing aside MEG’s claim that Kadarampalya was never a lake, LDA has said that this claim is not corroborated by the Director of Land Records. As such the MEG has been asked to protect the water body and not fill it up with earth. Inspections have also revealed that constructions are being carried out by the owner of TSN Tele-Shopping and Balaji Oil Mill in Survey Number 99 of Binnamangala village, according to the LDA.

Brigadier Manavalan, Commandant, MEG, however, denied any construction activity on the lake bed. “In fact we have desilted the lake and are trying to revive it. We are awaiting some good rain now,” he said.

Interim order

The Karnataka High Court had issued an interim order in 1995, directing the authorities concerned not to make any allotment or grant or permit construction on tank bed areas within Bangalore urban limits until further orders were given. The order was in reply to a writ petition which sought directions against conversion of lake lands.