During the hearing of PIL by Environment Support Group, challenging the privatisation of lakes in Bangalore by the Lake Development Authority, the report on lake by committee headed by Justice N K Patil was submitted to Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice A S Bopanna.
Titled ‘Preservation of Lakes in the City of Bangalore,’ the report was prepared by a committee headed by Justice Patil. Others involved in preparing the report are Chiefs of Revenue Department, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Karnataka Forest Department, Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, Minor Irrigation Department, Lake Development Authority and Department of Town Planning.
Accepting several suggestions by many experts in restoring the lakes, Justice Patil noted in the preface that the misuse of lakes is threatening the water security, ecology and environment of the City. With the estimated population of Bangalore to be around 120 lakhs by 2020, proactive regulation, planning and a system of execution was required to face the challenges of water scarcity and to keep the City habitable, he observed.
Bangalore, which is under intense urbanisation (BDA planning area, including BBMP and BMICAPA areas) has about 386 lakes remaining. The status of 121 other lakes is unknown. The report acknowledges that up to 100 lakes have disappeared as they have been converted to various urban uses including bus stations, roads, layouts, garbage dumps, truck stands, etc.
Key recommendations
* Take immediate action to remove encroachments from lake area and also the Raja Kaluves .
* Block entry of raw sewage into lakes.
* Convert select lakes, which are relatively undisturbed, into drinking water reservoirs by blocking off sewage entry.
* Lakes with very high biodiversity, especially of migratory waterfowl, will be notified for conservation under the Wetland (Conservation and Management Rules), 2010, per the Environment Protection Act.
* The strategy proposed is survey, removal of encroachments, fencing, watch and ward, clearing of blocked and encroached raja kaluves and drains.