<p>Flouting all environmental and municipal laws, a builder is laying a road bang in the middle of a lake on Sarjapura main road.</p>.<p>The road leads to an apartment block, also illegal, coming up on the bed of Sompura Lake.</p>.<p>Ramesh Babu, Anekal deputy tahsildar, said he was trying to stop the construction.</p>.<p>"We have dug trenches on either side of the lake to prevent vehicles from entering it," Babu claimed.</p>.<p>But he contradicted himself, saying the gram panchayat had approved the road on the request of people living around it. </p>.<p>People in the area identified the builder as Papa Reddy. DH tried repeatedly to contact him, but he wouldn't answer calls.</p>.<p>Sompura Lake is spread over 52 acres and 7 guntas. It is a natural habitat for birds, especially grey hornbills, and many species of fish.</p>.<p>Vijay Nishanth, urban conservationist, has been documenting the lake's ornithology. The birds' numbers have shrunk since the construction of the road began, he told DH.</p>.<p>"The lake was filled to the brim during the monsoon last year. Now, we see mud instead of water," said Deepanjali Naik, who lives near the lake.</p>.<p>What initially looked like a path for pedestrians is becoming a full-fledged road for vehicles, an official at the tahsildar's office said.</p>.<p>Twenty-six such lakes in the area call for attention and revival, according to Joy V R, secretary, Sarjapura Residents' Welfare Association.<br /> <br />The city has been in the national news for its failure to protect precious waterbodies such as the Bellandur and Varthur Lakes.</p>.<p>M S Archana, chief executive officer, Bangalore Urban zilla panchayat, said she was not aware of the road coming up, and promised to look into it.</p>.<p>The National Green Tribunal allows no construction within 75 metres of a lake.</p>.<p>This road bisects Sompura Lake, and leads to an apartment block coming up illegally on the lake bed.</p>
<p>Flouting all environmental and municipal laws, a builder is laying a road bang in the middle of a lake on Sarjapura main road.</p>.<p>The road leads to an apartment block, also illegal, coming up on the bed of Sompura Lake.</p>.<p>Ramesh Babu, Anekal deputy tahsildar, said he was trying to stop the construction.</p>.<p>"We have dug trenches on either side of the lake to prevent vehicles from entering it," Babu claimed.</p>.<p>But he contradicted himself, saying the gram panchayat had approved the road on the request of people living around it. </p>.<p>People in the area identified the builder as Papa Reddy. DH tried repeatedly to contact him, but he wouldn't answer calls.</p>.<p>Sompura Lake is spread over 52 acres and 7 guntas. It is a natural habitat for birds, especially grey hornbills, and many species of fish.</p>.<p>Vijay Nishanth, urban conservationist, has been documenting the lake's ornithology. The birds' numbers have shrunk since the construction of the road began, he told DH.</p>.<p>"The lake was filled to the brim during the monsoon last year. Now, we see mud instead of water," said Deepanjali Naik, who lives near the lake.</p>.<p>What initially looked like a path for pedestrians is becoming a full-fledged road for vehicles, an official at the tahsildar's office said.</p>.<p>Twenty-six such lakes in the area call for attention and revival, according to Joy V R, secretary, Sarjapura Residents' Welfare Association.<br /> <br />The city has been in the national news for its failure to protect precious waterbodies such as the Bellandur and Varthur Lakes.</p>.<p>M S Archana, chief executive officer, Bangalore Urban zilla panchayat, said she was not aware of the road coming up, and promised to look into it.</p>.<p>The National Green Tribunal allows no construction within 75 metres of a lake.</p>.<p>This road bisects Sompura Lake, and leads to an apartment block coming up illegally on the lake bed.</p>
