Locals say construction will destroy Sankey tank's avian habitat and contaminate the water with sewage.
Bengaluru's lakes are slowly being choked, fear the city's residents. Toxic foam has taken over Whitefield's Varthur lake. And now, luxury condos may come up soon next to Malleswaram's Sankey tank, which, locals say, will destroy the lake's avian habitat and contaminate the water with sewage.
The state government itself tried to reclaim the forest land it had sold decades ago through legal means but failed. The builders, Mantri Developers, point out that they have all the required legal clearances.
"Property development doesn't essentially disturb the ecosystem of the lake," said an official response from the developers. "Furthermore, the area near Sankey already has sewage lines as per environment rules. Also our project will have a Sewage Treatment Plant."
The residents, though, are far from reassured.
S Ravi Kumar, Director of the Bangalore Political Action Committee or BPAC, said sewage contamination is not the only concern where building takes place so close to a water body.
"You are destroying the watershed area, the catchment area" and eventually, the groundwater, which is feeding the lake, will take a hit, he said.
Karnataka's upa-lokayukta, Justice Santosh B Adi said the government still has the option of acquiring the land if it really wanted. He too, expressed concern over the impact on the environment.
The locals are planning an alternative legal route. One of them, Ramaswamy, said building and then demolishing is not the answer, "One has to start right at the beginning."
Unless precaution is taken, Bangalore will be a dead city "and this will happen in the next 50 years," added activist Dr Meenakshi Bharath.