Dumping of construction debris threatens Gottigere lake

Dumping of construction debris threatens Gottigere lake

The Hindu

KSPCB asks authorities concerned to keep a watch

BANGALORE: It is a depressing sight. Mounds of construction debris perch precariously on the lake bund here, threatening to seep into the lakebed should it rain.

And even as environmentalists are grappling with the problem of saving the dying Gottigere lake in the eponymous village on Bannerghatta Road, hordes of tractors arrive on the lake bund and surreptitiously dump the debris under the cover of darkness.

The small road that skirts the periphery of the lake, which is situated on the outskirts of Bangalore, has also shrunk in size due to this dumping that has gone on unabated over the past few weeks.

Villagers in the vicinity do not know where the debris is coming from or who has been dumping it.

"The lake is controlled by the Forest Department, and we have requested them to take action against those who dump the construction material on there," B.K. Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Lake Development Authority (LDA), told The Hindu.

He said construction debris is brought and dumped by tractors at night, a practice fast becoming a common problem for most lakes in and around Bangalore.

Incidentally, the LDA has invited expression of interest from private participation for development of 25 lakes in and around Bangalore, including the Gottigere lake.

The lake with an expanse of 14.98 hectares is under pressure, as habitations have been formed leading to reduced inflow.

It is this lake that has become a bone of contention in the formation of Outer Peripheral Road of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) Project.

Mr. Singh said that it would take three to four months to finalise the lake adoption scheme, as the interested parties have to present a detailed project report, which has to be approved by a sub-committee established for the purpose.

Besides the dumping of debris, the lake is threatened by the slush released by a brick kiln, located on the upper portion of the bund. The inlet pipes meant to allow the surface runoffs in the neighbourhood into the lake is choked by the slush.

The plastic wastes and garbage are found strewn around the lake, making it another eyesore.

According to senior officials of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the authorities concerned have been asked to keep a watch on the lake, and ensure it is not polluted.

"We have to ascertain where the debris is coming from and who is dumping them," the sources added.

Adjourned

Staff Reporter writes:

The Karnataka High Court on Monday adjourned further hearing on a petition relating to the construction of a road over Gottigere lake.

Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), which is executing the Bangalore-Mysore expressway,had some time ago appealed in the Supreme Court against an order of the High Court in dismissing its application for being impleaded in a contempt proceeding in connection with the lake. The Supreme Court had allowed NICE's application and directed the High Court to implead NICE.

NICE said its application for being impleaded in the contempt petition was allowed by a Division Bench comprising Justice V. Gopala Gowda and Justice H. Billappa and brought this to the notice of the court.

Justice S. Abdul Nazir adjourned further hearing on the matter to Tuesday.