NHAI to obey expert panel on lakes

The Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to submit an undertaking that it would abide by the recommendations of the expert panel set up by the Lake Development Authority on the protection of five lakes in the City.

The Environment Support Group had filed an impleading application to the petition filed by well-known bird expert Zafar Fatehully, objecting to the NHAI proposal to construct a service road over the Hunasamaranahalli Lake.

They submitted that NHAI had plans to use Meenakunte Lake, spread over 1000 sq meter, two lakes at Chikkajala (Chikkajala Lake with an area of 3,000 sq meter and Chikkajala government pond measuring 758 sq meter) and Kadiganahalli Lake (850 sq meter), where work on their project is on.

Man-made lakes
However, when the counsel for NHAI stated that the lakes were non-existent as they had dried up, the petitioners said the lakes in South India and Sri Lanka were man-made and were aimed at rainwater harvesting. “They go dry when summer nears,” the counsel said.