JOIN USThe Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has once again overlooked lakes in its budget for 2016-17.
The BBMP, this year, has reserved only Rs 10 crore for lake development while it is depending on the state government, which has allocated Rs 100 crore for lake conservation in this year's budget.
However, top sources in the BBMP said this fund will be released in two installments of which Rs 40 crore has been released now and second installment in the next year. Of the Rs 40 crore from the state budget, Rs 10 crore has been given to BBMP to carry out the spillover works while Rs 30 crore for undertaking new lake restoration works. Thus, the total budgetary provision for lakes in BBMP's custody is Rs 50 crore.
In February, the state government ordered transferring 22 more lakes in the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) custody, including Subramanyapura Lake, to the BBMP. The financially ailing BDA had pleaded its inability to take care of the lakes in its custody following which the government took the decision.
The BBMP already had 86 lakes in its custody. After transferring 22 more lakes, the number of lakes to be taken care of by the civic agency is now 108.
A senior officer in the Palike said, “The total grants for lake improvement is Rs 50 crore. With this fund, we have to develop 108 water bodies in the City.”
Of the lakes in BBMP's custody, 19 have lost all their features, courtesy land grabbers and the Bangalore Development Authority, which has illegally formed layouts on them. Chikka Kallasandra Lake, Sarakki Lake and Kacharakanahalli Lake are among them. While Chikka Kallasandra and Sarakki lakes have been encroached upon by the private individuals with the active connivance of revenue and BBMP officials who aided in getting the land use changed and Khatha issued, Kacharakanahalli lake disappeared due to BDA forming a layout on it.
The corporators are insisting upon developing lakes in their areas using the BBMP funds.
“While the demand is huge, we have very little funds in hand. We require more, given the herculean task assigned to us to restore lakes, which have been damaged badly,” a BBMP officer said.
DH News Service