Activists in Bengaluru bat for umbrella body to oversee lake management

An expert panel that convened on Saturday called for the creation of an umbrella body to oversee lake management in the city.

The ‘Namma Kere’ panel discussion organised by Citizens for Sankey and Bengaluru Praja Vedike brought together experts from local administration, law, environment, civic activism, and politics to identify the problems plaguing the city’s lakes and draw collaborative solutions.

The management, rejuvenation and preservation of lakes require coordination between experts in environment, administration and politics, said Preeti Gehlot, BBMP Special Commissioner of Lakes, adding that this must happen under a single umbrella body exclusively for lakes.

Along with Rajeev Gowda, former MP, she pledged to work towards the better integration of agencies and resources for lake management.

Civic activist N S Mukunda recommended the creation of a comprehensive website that could provide details of all the lakes in the city. Groups of 8 residents must be formed to maintain lakes in each ward, he added. 

Dr T V Ramachandra, scientific officer, IISc addressed gaps in the administration’s approach to lake rejuvenation.

“Lake management needs to be scientific. All the administrative bodies comprise civil engineers and so emphasis is given to engineering which is not done on an ecological basis,” he said. 

He urged authorities to stop the inflow of untreated sewage and effluents into lakes. “We need to focus on decontaminating the lakes and not changing the topography,” he added.

Former IFS Officer Dr UV Singh and Smaran Shetty, an environmental lawyer, called for the appointment of an unbiased officer who doesn’t have a conflict of interest as the CEO of the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTDCA).