Lake wardens to protect BDA's 278 waterbodies

In an effort to implement the National Green Tribunal ruling effectively and to ensure better protection of lakes, the Karnataka Lake Development and Conservation Authority (KLDCA) will appoint/name wardens to all 278 lakes falling under the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).

At a high-level meeting attended by Chief Secretary Arvind Jadhav, Additional Chief Secretary (Forests) T M Vijay Bhaskar and a host of officials from the Forest Department on April 30, it was proposed to have lake wardens for the water bodies in the city. This was further strengthened by the NGT order on May 1. The proposal was sent to government for its approval.

This move has been welcomed by the Forest department and state pollution control board which had recently formed watchdog committees.

KLDCA CEO Ajai Misra told Deccan Herald, “The wardens will be people from the nearby locality and resident welfare associations. They will be similar to the traffic and wildlife wardens. They will help in better protection and will give a ground report on the problem, status of development and what needs to be improved. They will coordinate between the locals and custodians of lake like the BBMP, the BDA and various other departments.

This is need of the hour as lake issues are very complex and there is a need for public support for conservation and monitoring. In some cases there can be more than one warden for a lake and their work will be divided based on the sections. Responsibilities will be fixed among custodians, users and wardens for protection and to ensure there is no encroachment, he said.

An environmental official from State Environment Impact Assessment Authority has said that this (appointing lake wardens) was a long-pending demand, but was not supported by the corporation and urban development departments, which had lead to encroachments and dwindling of buffer zones. With the presence of lake wardens, encroachment of lakes and wetlands will be controlled.