Lake encroachers to get another chance to reply to notices

The Legislative Assembly committee on lake encroachments has decided to give another opportunity to those accused of encroachments in Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts to respond to the show-cause notices.

The committee chairman K B Koliwad said directions have been issued to the revenue authorities of the two districts to issue the notices again. It will be the last chance for the accused to reply.

They will be given one month to respond. Otherwise, appropriate action will be taken, he told DH.

The revenue authorities had, in February this year, issued notices to all 11,595 private individuals, organisations and companies accused of encroaching lakes. But so, far only 5,500 have replied. A majority of those who have responded are from Bengaluru Urban district.

The encroachments were identified after a detailed survey conducted by the department of Survey Settlement and Land Records last year. It has surveyed 1,445 lakes and prepared sketch of the encroachments. It has identified 3,977 cases of private encroachments of the total 835 lakes in Bengaluru Urban district. In Bengaluru Rural district, 7,618 cases of private encroachments have been identified in the total 710 lakes.

Koliwad, also the Assembly Speaker, said the committee took the decision to give another opportunity, as many of the individuals and organisations complained that they had not received the notices.

He said the committee was planning to submit an interim report to the Assembly in two months. The panel has scrutinised all replies received so far. The interim report will have recommendations only on lake encroachments. Cases of encroachment of buffer zones and rajakaluves will be dealt with in the final report, he added.

He refused to disclose whether the panel was planning to recommend to the government to regularise illegal constructions on lakes.