Demanding action against encroachers and fencing of the Kapra lake, the Bharatiya Janata Party took out a massive rally in Kapra on Sunday. The BJP activists were joined by the local resident welfare associations, fishermen associations and the washermen associations.
Party State general secretary N.V.S.S. Prabhakar said that the 113-acre lake was being encroached upon by land sharks and the officials are turning a blind eye to it. He said the lake should be protected with fencing and action should be taken against the encroachers.
With the feeder channels also getting encroached, he said the lake is going dry and encroachers are dumping mud and debris right in the middle of the lake to pave way for encroachment later. The Full Tank Level (FTL) was also changed four times under pressure from the land sharks. The encroachment also led to ground water levels plummeting to 1,200 feet in the area and nearly 50,000 bore wells have also gone dry, he said. “On the one hand, the Government talks of creating artificial lakes under the Pranahita Chevella project, while the GHMC and HMDA officials are least bothered to protect the natural lakes,” Mr. Prabhakar said.
If the Government fails, the BJP will take up the fencing work along with fishermen, washermen and local residents for whom the lake is a lifeline, he warned.