Despite allocation of funds for rejuvenation, government foot-dragging means the Halanayakanahalli Lake in Doddakannelli is withering away. Activists and residents warn the lake is now in imminent danger of vanishing.
The sense of urgency is propelled by historically low water retention during the last two monsoons despite copious rainfall, explained Suresh Mathew, a retired civil engineer who lives in the area. According to Mathew, the monsoonal depth of the lake in previous years was about 30-40 feet. "However, in 2019 and 2020, the levels were extremely low," he said.
When DH visited the site on Sunday, it found that the lake had shrunk to a sliver of water, which some locals were taking advantage of to catch fish. It is a far cry from a lake whose original dimensions measured 78.97 acres, said Shadab Lari, of the Halanayakanahalli Lake group, which represents 7,000 local residents.
"Encroachment and the blocking of inlets and outlets have shrunk the boundaries of the lake dramatically," he said.
As per sources, while funds were released to the Minor Irrigation Department in 2017 to carry out the desilting of the lake bed, plus improvements and the building of a feeder channel, little work has actually materialised. Officials of the Minor Irrigation Department who were contacted by DH declined to comment on the funds allotted for the lake.
Two officers blamed the Revenue Department for delaying a survey of the lake. "How can we establish lake boundaries and illegal structures without a survey? Rejuvenation is not possible without a survey," one official said, adding that the problem has been compounded by "legal" issues.
"The lake is split into three survey areas coming under the jurisdiction of three villages: Halanayakanahalli (Survey No 67), Chikkanayakanahalli (Survey No 7) and Chikanahalli (Survey No 12). This has created a lot of legal problems," a resident confirmed.
Residents have called for a survey, after which they said that a fence needs to be erected around the lake to prevent encroachment. Mathew added that the lake’s deterioration is directly linked to the declining water table in the area. "About five years ago, borewells could find water 300 feet down. Now, that depth is 1,300 feet. Never mind the lake itself was a biodiversity hub," he said.
According to the Bangalore Environmental Trust, the lake's decline is similar to that of other waterbodies falling outside the jurisdiction of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). "The inlets and canals which have traditionally supplied these lakes have been dammed or encroached. All of the downstream lakes have been ignored,” said Dr Nidhi Paliwal.