BBMP nodal officers to supervise upkeep of 140 lakes

Bengaluru: Engineers working in different departments of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have been posted as nodal officers of 140 lakes in the city. 

They have been assigned to monitor the maintenance, security and supervision of the water body. Attending to complaints from citizens will also be their responsibility. 

The order was issued by BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath on instructions from Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio.

In the first phase, the BBMP has selected only 140 of the 204 lakes that are already developed. 

The nodal officers include assistant executive engineers, executive engineers, superintendent engineers, and in-charge chief engineers. These officers are expected to take ownership of the lake in addition to their daily assignments in departments such as solid waste, stormwater drain, and road infrastructure, among others. 

Some of the responsibilities assigned to the nodal officers include ensuring the waterbody is free from weeds and garbage and checking the attendance of security guards. 

'Kere Mitra'

The BBMP had earlier announced volunteers to keep an eye on the waterbodies, but the initiative did not take off as announced. The civic body had not responded to the volunteers who enrolled in the programme called 'Kere Mitra'.

Some lake volunteers were happy that the BBMP posted nodal officers as the citizens will finally have access to register their complaints. 

33 lakes under-developed due to paucity of funds: Centre

Among the 204 lakes under the Palike's control, 33 are under-developed owing to a shortage of funds. What’s more, 19 are termed disused lakes, meaning they have lost all the characteristics of a waterbody due to encroachments. 

These details were shared by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav in response to a question raised by by PC Mohan, the Bangalore Central MP, in the Lok Sabha. 

In the last four years, the BBMP has spent a total of Rs 590 crore on the development of 131 lakes, primarily funded by the state government. Of this, the civic body developed eight lakes under the 15th Finance Commission. 

Based on the state's proposals, the ministry sanctioned projects at a cost of Rs 24.27 crore during 2002-2010 for the conservation of eight wetlands in Bengaluru — namely Vengaiahkere, Nagavara, Jarganahalli, Lalbagh, Bellandur, Gowramma, Homballama and Magadhi.

The Centre released its share of Rs 13.794 crore to the state for the conservation and management of these wetlands. All these projects have been completed. 

Centrally sponsored scheme

The Union Environment and Forest Ministry has implemented a centrally sponsored scheme, namely the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA) for the conservation and management of wetlands in the country, including Karnataka, on a cost-sharing basis between the central government and respective states.