Sarjapur Rd residents protest against encroachment of lakes

More than 30 Sarjapur residents staged a protest on Friday against the illegal encroachment of the Sompura and Yamare lake.

They alleged that the authorities have failed to take any action to stop the encroachment and illegal construction over the buffer zone around the lakes.

"The lake at Sompura is encroached by private builders now. They have turned the lake bed into a pathway to their apartments," said Raicy, an activist from the Voice of Sarjapur citizen group.

The residents believe the authorities are complicit with these encroachers."The Yamare village panchayat has been accepting bribes to turn the buffer zones into deadpan lands,"Raicy added. She accused the Yamare panchayat's chairman of not paying any heed to the requests of conserving the lake.

The Yamare Lake-which is a seasonal one- is facing a slow death, according to the residents due to unruly dumping, "The lakebed when not in season, is used by villagers for cattle-grazing. But few people from Sarjapur dump construction debris illegally and the local authorities are doing nothing to stop it," said Deepanjali, another member of the voice of Sarjapur citizen group.

The residents have also started an online campaign on the social media to save the lake and support villagers.