The high court on Friday ordered a fresh survey of Kaggadasapura and Begur lakes in Bengaluru, observing that the previous survey had failed to demarcate the buffer zone of the waterbodies.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka passed the order after perusing an affidavit filed by Mahendra Jain, Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department. The court noted that the demarcation of the buffer zone was essential to ascertaining the encroachments and must be done in the first place.
Referring to a compliance report submitted by the BBMP, the bench stated that the civic body had mentioned that it had written to the additional director of land records to carry out a survey. Thereafter, the bench declared, the state government must carry out a fresh survey after demarcating the buffer zone to ascertain whether there is any encroachment on it.
As regards Kaggadasapura Lake, the bench directed the authorities to immediately undertake a co-ordinated effort to remove the encroachments/unauthorised construction. Although the court also ordered a fresh survey of Kaggadasapura Lake, it directed the authorities to go ahead with the removal of 23 encroachments as per the additional chief secretary's report.
This apart, the bench gave the authorities one month to conduct a survey of Subramanyapura Lake.
The next hearing will be on March 19.
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