<p> The Bengaluru Urban district authorities could not survey the rajakaluve (feeder canal) of the extinct Chikka Kallasandra lake in Padmanabhanagar 18th main even after five years of starting the drive to measure all rajakaluves.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Based on a public interest litigation by the Five Years Law Graduates Association, the Karnataka High Court had directed BBMP in 2011 to survey the rajakaluves, identify the encroachments and remove them.<br /><br />Officials of BBMP’s stormwater drain division say they cannot survey the rajakaluves on their own as they are dependent on the survey department of the district administration. <br />Five years on, the survey has not gained pace, as is evident in the Chikka Kallasandra lake case. While the survey of the rajakaluve in the downstream of the lake has been done, the authorities could not provide information about the status of rajakaluve in the upstream, where maximum encroachment has happened.<br /><br />To know the status of the Chikka Kallasandra lake and its rajakaluves, a Deccan Herald reporter had filed an RTI application on May 29, 2014, with the stormwater drain division as well as the Bengaluru south tahsildar. But even two years later, the survey has not been completed. During the hearing of the case in the Karnataka Information Commission on Wednesday, the district authorities provided a fresh survey sketch of the Chikka Kallasandra lake on 12 acres and 26 guntas, showing large scale encroachment. They, however, could not provide the survey sketch of the rajakaluves. The assistant director of land records Anand Kumar said the survey sketches of the rajakaluves are not available.<br /><br />When contacted, deputy commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district V Shankar said he would direct the officials to start the survey of the rajakaluves. Shankar said the district administration had filed a Revision First Appeal (RFA) before the High Court, to clear encroachment of the Chikka Kallasandra Lake.<br /><br />“Due to some mischief by one of my subordinates, we were on the verge of losing the case. We are pursuing the RFA vigorously to ensure that the lake is back in our custody,” said Shankar. <br /><br />The lake has lost all its features as land grabbers created bogus documents, filled it <br />with soil and built houses over it.<br /><br /></p>
<p> The Bengaluru Urban district authorities could not survey the rajakaluve (feeder canal) of the extinct Chikka Kallasandra lake in Padmanabhanagar 18th main even after five years of starting the drive to measure all rajakaluves.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Based on a public interest litigation by the Five Years Law Graduates Association, the Karnataka High Court had directed BBMP in 2011 to survey the rajakaluves, identify the encroachments and remove them.<br /><br />Officials of BBMP’s stormwater drain division say they cannot survey the rajakaluves on their own as they are dependent on the survey department of the district administration. <br />Five years on, the survey has not gained pace, as is evident in the Chikka Kallasandra lake case. While the survey of the rajakaluve in the downstream of the lake has been done, the authorities could not provide information about the status of rajakaluve in the upstream, where maximum encroachment has happened.<br /><br />To know the status of the Chikka Kallasandra lake and its rajakaluves, a Deccan Herald reporter had filed an RTI application on May 29, 2014, with the stormwater drain division as well as the Bengaluru south tahsildar. But even two years later, the survey has not been completed. During the hearing of the case in the Karnataka Information Commission on Wednesday, the district authorities provided a fresh survey sketch of the Chikka Kallasandra lake on 12 acres and 26 guntas, showing large scale encroachment. They, however, could not provide the survey sketch of the rajakaluves. The assistant director of land records Anand Kumar said the survey sketches of the rajakaluves are not available.<br /><br />When contacted, deputy commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district V Shankar said he would direct the officials to start the survey of the rajakaluves. Shankar said the district administration had filed a Revision First Appeal (RFA) before the High Court, to clear encroachment of the Chikka Kallasandra Lake.<br /><br />“Due to some mischief by one of my subordinates, we were on the verge of losing the case. We are pursuing the RFA vigorously to ensure that the lake is back in our custody,” said Shankar. <br /><br />The lake has lost all its features as land grabbers created bogus documents, filled it <br />with soil and built houses over it.<br /><br /></p>
