‘No more lakes will be privatised’

‘No more lakes will be privatised’

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The State Government on Thursday informed the Karnataka High Court that it had taken a policy decision not to privatise any more lakes. Advocate-General Uday Holla made this submission to a Division Bench which was hearing a public interest litigation by Loe Saldanha and Environment Support Group against the decision of Lake Development Authority to privatise some of the lakes in Bangalore.

When the matter came up, the Advocate-General said apart from the lakes privatised now, the Government would not hand over any more lakes for privatisation. He said four lakes were given for privatisation in Bangalore and the Government could not now take it back from the private parties.

He said the lease to the private parties for Hebbal, Nagawara, Agara and Vengaianna Kere lakes would not be renewed once the lease expired.

The petitioners contended that there was a Supreme Court order restricting commercialisation of water bodies. They said the act of the LDA in privatising the lakes would go against the Supreme Court decision.

The Bench said if the Supreme Court had given any such decision, it was bound to follow it. It adjourned hearing of the case.