Bengaluru:
Bengaluru's lakes are dying, and the Karnataka government seems at sea without a clear road-map to save them.
It attempted a drive to demolish buildings built around and even on lake beds - construction that has, experts say, reduced the catchment of water and added to its pollution - but had to stop demolishing homes in the face of protests by angry residents. Commercial structures built on lake beds are still being brought down.
But it has a big problem. Its Bengaluru Development Authority or BDA has authorised construction on at least 14 lakes in the city. Bengalaru's main Majestic Bus Stand is built on what was a tank. The National Games village was also built on wetlands.
Minister TB Jayachandra told NDTV that the BDA layouts will not be part of any demolition drive. "Wherever the BDA has given permission and allotted sites and in turn allottees have constructed their houses, we are not going to touch them for now. We are awaiting the report of a House Committee specially constituted to go into the details of the tanks and their encroachment."
The government also says that many of the lakes listed were already dry when construction began and should not be considered lakes any more. "There are many lakes where there is no longer any water, abandoned lakes. The government is thinking of bringing a legislation on deleting them from the lake list," said home minister KJ George.
Dr TV Ramachandra and his team at the Indian Institute of Science, who have been studying the city's lakes for years, say the lakes are not dying, they are being killed.
"We are monitoring about 80 lakes in Bangalore. Almost all have encroachment. The pattern is, people start dumping solid waste, then they put building debris. Then they build roads and temples...eventually you see an influential section of society occupying the lake bed. This is a serious thing," Dr Ramachandra said.