After floods in Bengaluru impacted the IT belt Mahadevpura the most, lake activists have pointed out that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) itself killed many lakes and turned them into layouts.
Over the years, the Authority encroached lakes and constructed residential areas, they alleged.
The lake activists, terming the present drive to clear encroachments on storm water drains a hogwash, said natural channels of water flow have been blocked, causing water to flow on roads.
They said BDA has filled 23 lakes with soil and formed 3,530 plots till now. In a letter to the government, BDA authorities had stated that the lakes had not been in use, filled them and made sites. The letter has been brought out into the open by lake activists.
Lake activist Ram Prasad from ‘Friends of Lakes’, lashing out at officials for killing the lakes said, Removal of lake encroachments is claimed to have been carried out since 2005 after AT Ramaswamy’s report. Later, the Koliwad committee report gave the extent of encroachments. With these extensive reports being available, a new set of names being mentioned seems like diversionary tactics. Encroachments on lakes, storm water drains and buffer zones should be removed as mentioned in these reports. New survey and other tactics to help influential encroachers will be seen as an act against the interest of the state and its citizens by activists. It is also a criminal breach of trust by surveyors and revenue authorities.
