ISEC predicts a dark future for the city’s lake.
The cyber capital of India, Bangalore is undergoing an unprecedented demolition drive launched by Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and it will continue for a few more days and nearly 1,000 properties are slated to be demolished.
The authorities were forced to carry it out, thanks to the unabashed encroachments on the civic and government lands by the greedy and rapacious city residents, with the unholy connivance of the politicians and civic authorities has made many of the lakes in the city disappear, resulting into water crisis, rising temperature and disappearing of greenery, so much so that the city that was once known as the lake, garden or the air-conditioned city became just like any other Indian city, overcrowded, full of dirt and filth and a concrete jungle.
A study, published by city-based Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), paints a dark future of the city’s lake if the State government fails to get its act (See: http://www.isec.ac.in/Monographs_17.pdf ).
May be that’s why the state government is acting now.
This survey had found that many colonies, public offices and shopping complexes came up on the beds and drainages of several tanks and lakes, resulting into floods and water logging during the monsoon.
The research tackled the present characteristics of lakes, encroachment issues, rejuvenation of lakes and tank maintenance measures and demanded government’s participation while planning new projects.
“Tanks and lakes and their irrigated area should be kept out of acquisition, and dry land around them should be used for residential purposes,” Dr. P. Thippaiah said in the study titled Vanishing Lakes: A Study of Bangalore City.
The government should also initiate appropriate action against individuals and companies who encroach on the tanks in collusion with officials, the study said.
Lake Development Authority (LDA), supposed to coordinate with several civic agencies, has failed to prevent encroachments, as it lacks sufficient manpower and finances, so it demanded that the management of all lakes, currently under LDA, should be transferred to the BBMP and BDA, as they have sufficient resources and manpower for it, the report added.
The current demolition drive seems like a step in this direction, but by and large, it is punishing the residents, while the erring politicians and officials are going scot-free, hence it could be a measure, too late and too little.
2 Comments
All the possible steps needed to be taken to have a proper look that all the areas that had been falling under storm water drainage was used for construction. So it should be cleared and storm water drainage to be there to avoid water logging.
All the possible steps needed to be taken to have a proper look that all the areas that had been falling under storm water drainage was used for construction. So it should be cleared and storm water drainage to be there to avoid water logging.