JOIN USA total of 49 lakes in Suntikoppa hobli have been encroached and among these, encroachments in four lakes have been cleared and the land has been handed over to the respective Gram Panchayats.
Suntikoppa Nadakatcheri deputy tahsildar Shivappa said that the encroached lakes were being used for agriculture. During a survey, it was revealed that the lake land was encroached upon several years ago. Now, the encroachments are being cleared.
Lakes in the survey numbers 44, 130 and 127 in Seventh Hosakote Gram Panchayat were encroached. The encroachments have been cleared and handed over to the Gram Panchayat. Now, it is upto the Gram Panchayats to develop the lakes, he added.
It was found that lakes in Sridevi, Panya, Tata plantation, Pump house and Balekadu have been encroached and steps will be taken to clear these encroachments too, said the officials.
The clearing is being carried out by Somwarpet taluk tahsildar, Suntikoppa deputy tahsildar, revenue inspector, village accountant, police and Lokayukta teams.
The encroachers have carefully been cultivating coffee and chillies around the lakes, the official said and requested the local residents to tip the officials on the encroachments.
The team from the revenue department will conduct a survey and initiate further action.
Suntikoppa PDO Venugopal said that the lakes in survey numbers 145, 48 and 51/1 were encroached. A letter has been written to the tahsildar to clear the encroachment of the lakes.
In Suntikoppa town, the private lakes, along with government lakes, are being used for the immersion of Gowri-Ganesha idols. The private lakes are now filled with silt and need care, said the villagers.
There was a government lake on Pump House Road and now, the lake has been levelled and an anganwadi has been built.
As the lake had dried up, the Taluk Panchayat in 1999 approved the closure of the lake. In 2001-02, the lake was filled with mud and levelled, to construct the anganwadi.
The local people said that the plantation owners in the region have encroached on the lakes.
The department concerned should initiate legal action against the encroaches and reclaim the government land, they said.