Move to save Hadosiddapura lake from encroachers

Members of the Halayanakanahalli Gram panchayat have taken a firm stand on saving the Hadosiddapura lake, which has come under threat from encroachers since last year.

Located off Sarjapur Road, some private builders and developers have reportedly taken over the land surrounding the lake’s periphery, according to members of the Gram panchayat, under whose limits the water body lies.

Gram panchayat development officer S Ramesh said, “We have noticed developers inspecting the land and purchasing the plots. We are afraid the water body will become polluted like the Bellandur and Varthur lakes, which are filled with nothing but untreated sewage water let in from apartments.”

He said that before private builders commence construction work in the panchayat limits, they have to get the building plan approval from the Bangalore Development Authority, followed by a licence.

The panchayat members, in a bid to save the lake, are now planning to fence it with help from higher authorities.

“As our panchayat is short of funds, we will seek help from the Lake Development Authority for fencing the water body in the coming days. We will allow private builders to take up construction work only after they set up sewage treatment plants and after a lake survey is done by the Revenue Department,” said Babureddy, a panchayat member.

The members have also sent a letter to the Revenue Department to seek help in conducting a survey, demarcating the boundary of the lake, keep tabs on encroachments and issue notices to encroachers.

Lake shrunk

Kaverappa, a resident of Halayanakanahalli, said the water body measuring around 36 acres had shrunk considerably in the last five years due to extraction of ground water through borewells.

Junnasandra lake, another water body in the village, is also in a dire state. Residents allege that the dried-up lake, coming under the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike limits, is completely encroached upon by private builders.

Executive Engineer, LDA, S R Nagaraj, told Deccan Herald: “The panchayat members need to send a letter to the Revenue Department and a copy of it to LDA. We can then instruct the Deputy Commissioner, Bangalore Urban, to take adequate measures to protect the lake. It is finally in the hands of the Revenue Department to identify the encroachers and take action against them.”