Lokayukta finds `illegal private property' on lakebed area

Lokayukta finds `illegal private property' on lakebed area

The Hindu

Sale of 10.17 acres in Sankey Tank area by Maharaja's administration termed illegal

# Original area of Sankey Tank was 55 acres
# The water holding capacity put at 125 units
# Water level reached the full level in 1884
# It used to supply water to Cantonment and civil areas

Bangalore: Lokayukta M.N. Venkatachala has reported that a good portion of Sankey Tank, about 10.17 acres, has been "illegally claimed" as private property. This portion, which was originally part of the lakebed, has been walled and used as private property.

In the report forwarded to the State Government, Mr. Venkatachala said according to Land Revenue and Irrigation Department records, Sankey Tank measured 55 acres with a depth of 30 feet and water holding capacity of 125 units and its drainage area was .49 sq miles. These dimensions were recorded in the books of Registrar of Tanks of Cauvery Basin, Arkavathy Series, dated December 14, 1906.

"For the tank to reach its full capacity level, the waste weir level needs to be raised to its original dimensions.

Otherwise the tank's water spread area shrinks and it cannot hold the amount of water it was meant to.

The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike's work to restore and rejuvenate the tank was good and it relied on original records to carry out the work," the Lokayukta said in his report.

The BMP had prepared a map based on original records and its work was just and proper, the report said.

The Lokayukta examined old records to find out when in the past Sankey Tank reached its full holding capacity.

The last time this happened was in 1884 and this was recorded in an old map obtained from the archives of The Mythic Society.

At that time, the water was used in the Cantonment and Civil areas of the city for drinking purposes.

The old records showed that the natural channels, which led water into the tank, were located between Tumkur Road and Sankey Road. The tank was included in the western surveyed portion of what was then Rajmahal village.

The area covered by the tank bed, water spread and the bunds came to 313.33 acres. The tank bed was then 61 acres.

According to the Lokayukta, the property claimed to be owned by the former Minister in the Princely Mysore State M.A. Sreenivasan, included 10.17 acres of the tank bed.

This included 2.1 acres of water spread, two acres of "kharab nalas" and 6.13 acres of kharab land.

These areas once formed the northern portion of the tank. The property was sold to the Dewan by the erstwhile Maharaja's administration and it was surveyed for government records in 1937.

"The then administration had no right to sell or grant what was a tank bed under the prevailing laws," the Lokayukta report said. The position holds good under current laws as well.

The Lokayukta report recommends that the Government should take steps to stop "grabbing" of public land and especially tank beds and remove any encroachments.

The report along with the evidence collected about Sankey Tank's original extent has been forwarded to the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, Revenue Secretary, BMP Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, Bangalore Urban District.