42 lakes have disappeared in Bengaluru, says Ashok

Revenue Minister R. Ashok on Monday told the Legislative Assembly that 42 lakes disappeared in Bengaluru city and many of them during the Congress governments in the State

Revenue Minister R. Ashok on Monday told the Legislative Assembly that 42 lakes disappeared in Bengaluru city and many of them during the Congress governments in the State.

In a reply to over 12 hours of debate involving 36 members on rain havoc and floods in different parts of the State during the South-West monsoon, Mr. Ashok said many layouts and constructions took place on lakebeds and this caused disappearance of lakes in the city.

At the instructions of governments in the past, the Bengaluru Development Authority developed layouts on lakes, starting from 1963, he said.

The Revenue Minister said construction of layouts on lakes happened in areas such as Rajajinagar (1963), Koramangala (1965), Dollars Colony (1973), Banashankari (1975), Domlur (1977), HAL-I and II (1978), HSR-I and II (1986), BTM (1995), RV I and II (2001), and Nagarabhavi (2001). Lakes in these areas used to store 2 to 4 tmcft of water, he said.

The city bus stand and the Kanteerava Stadium were built on lakebeds in the city. Besides, the BDA developed layouts, the private developers too developed layouts on lakebeds, he said.

Noting administrative procedure for disappearance of lakes, Mr. Ashok said first the Deputy Commissioner issues a public notice seeking objections for the conversion of dry lakes for different purposes. After no objections from the public are received, the Deputy Commissioner takes it to the Minister who in turn places the subject in the State Cabinet for a decision to use lake lands, Mr. Ashok said.

Mr. Ashok said Bengaluru floods were “man-made mistakes” and previous governments lacked vision to develop the city. Despite the existence of vast lands in and around Bengaluru, layouts and public utilities were built using areas of lakes in the city by the previous governments, he said.