Forest department wants Hebbal Lake leased to firm for 15 more years

The Forest Department has recommended renewing the lease agreement with East India Hotels Ltd for maintaining Hebbal Lake for 15 more years amid an ongoing legal battle over giving private entities the control of public commons.

Lake activists say the recommendation could set a wrong precedent.

Ironically, the Forest Department had recently fought tooth and nail both in the civil and high courts against renewing a similar lease issued to Lumbini Gardens Pvt Ltd for maintaining Nagavara Lake. The request for renewing that lease agreement was rejected in December 2019.

After Nagavara Lake, Hebbal Lake was the only waterbody in the city that was leased to a private entity for 15 years. The lease agreement had expired in May 2021. Two months later, EIH Ltd, which is part of the Oberoi Group, approached the Forest Department seeking the renewal of the lease licence, documents accessed by DH show.

In a letter to the government in October, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Sanjai Mohan stated that the company had “satisfactorily” maintained Hebbal Lake for 15 years and recommended renewing the lease agreement for 15 more years.

“The firm has met all conditions prescribed in the lease agreement. The water quality of the lake and [the] park’s maintenance are up to the mark. The firm has not allowed commercial activities both in the lake and park premises. There was no harm caused to government properties during the lease period and no attempt has been made to spoil the natural environment,” the PCCF stated in a letter to Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Forests, Ecology and Environment.

Leo Saldanha, the coordinator at the Environment Support Group (ESG), said that the renewal of the lease agreement would be sub judice.

“The legality of the expired lease has been challenged in the Supreme Court, which has part-heard the matter. The chief secretary and the Forest Department are respondents and have received notices, which is a matter of record,” he said.

Saldanha reminded the government of a Supreme Court order that says public commons are meant for public use and the state, as the trustee of these resources, is bound to protect them without diverting them to the control of any private entities in any manner.

“The renewal of this lease agreement stands to violate the past orders of the high court and the recommendations of the Justice NK Patil Committee,” he stressed.

Mohan, the PCCF, said he had recommended the renewal of the lease agreement as the waterbody could not be left as it was and someone had to maintain it. “I am aware of the court case. The government has not taken a decision to renew the agreement yet,” he said.

Asked about a defunct sewage treatment plant at Hebbal Lake and the lack of regular maintenance, the officer said he was not aware of the day-to-day affairs at the waterbody.

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