Don't auction lakes: HC

Don't auction lakes: HC

Government given deadline to submit report on preservation of lakes

Srikanth Hunasavadi. Bangalore
Forget about global warming, think about Bangalore!
With this strong warning, the High Court on Tuesday directed the state government to rethink about the privatisation of lakes and submit a comprehensive report in this regard.
"On the one hand, in the name of industrialisation, natural resources are being destroyed. On the other, to widen the roads, all greenery is being destroyed by the government. This is the reality".
A division bench headed by Chief Justice PD Dinakaran and Justice KL Manjunath made these observations while hearing the public interest litigation filed by Environment Support Group (ESG) and Leo Saldana challenging the privatisation of lakes in the city.
"No other city in the country has got such large number of parks and trees. If we have to protect this, first we have to protect the water bodies. Now the situation is extremely bad," the court observed.
The court directed the state government to file a comprehensive report on March 4 about the preservation of lakes. The report should include issues such as privatisation and survey of lakes, a review of privatisation of lakes, creation of new lakes and stopping extension of the lease period of already privatised lakes, the court said.
It directed the government to remove all encroachments in and around lakes and give more powers to the forest department. It also directed to stop the sewage water from entering the lakes. The court came down heavily on the lake development authority (LDA).
"Is it a lake development authority or lake auctioning authority? What is the government doing? What is the role, functions and objective of LDA? LDA is not developing lakes, it is simply auctioning them. It is better to close this authority. If the government closes this LDA, we would be happy," the court said.
Meanwhile, the lease holders of Hebbal and Nagavara lakes, voluntarily agreed to cut the entry fee for the public and also agreed to use only battery and peddle boats in the lake. The court said that food should not be cooked inside the lake.
On behalf of state government, advocate general Uday Holla said there are 250-odd lakes in and around the city. Some of them do not exist now. Only four Hebbal, Nagavara, Agaram and Vengaiahna Lake – have been given for the private parties for development for a period of 15 years in 2004. If the court directs the government to take action for preservation of lakes, the government will act accordingly.
An LDA official submitted before the court that after the Laxmana Rao Committee submitted report about lakes and tanks in the city, the authority was set up in 2002. It works under the forest department. The government is planning to divest more powers to LDA, but the bill in this regard was held up in the legal department. Bangalore Development Authority has developed 56 lakes into layouts and distributed them as housing sites.
Forest department secretary Meera Saxena said, "As per records, there are 250 lakes in the city. Revenue department, which is the real owner of the lakes, has handed over 114 lakes to the forest department. Of these, 86 lakes are in existence and the department is searching for the rest. The department has no authority over the lakes. If the government gives power, we will remove all encroachments and preserve the lakes.