Chief Minister promises to set up authority to save rural lakes

August 08, 2013 04:05 am | Updated June 04, 2016 03:42 pm IST - BANGALORE:

Of the 37,000 rural lakes in the State, 12,000 will be revived in the first phase of the lake rejuvenation programme. File Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

Of the 37,000 rural lakes in the State, 12,000 will be revived in the first phase of the lake rejuvenation programme. File Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday promised to set up a lake development authority to conserve rural lakes, on the lines of one that exists for protecting lakes in and around Bangalore and other cities in the State.

Inaugurating a workshop on rejuvenation of rural lakes, organised by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) here, the Chief Minister said that the government is committed to clear encroachments from lakes and tank beds in the State and rejuvenate them on priority.

Of the 37,000 lakes in the rural areas, 12,000 have dried up due to bad maintenance. Work on rejuvenating them would be taken up in the first phase of the programme, he added.

Survey soon

According to a conservative estimate, over 4,500 tanks have been encroached upon in the State. “All steps will be taken to clear encroachments, after conducting a survey by experts,” he said. Holding the successive governments and bureaucracy responsible for the disappearance of tanks, Mr. Siddaramaiah cautioned that the rural areas might face a water crisis in the days to come, if corrective steps were not taken.

In 42 months

Participating in the programme, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj H.K. Patil said that the work to rejuvenate tanks and lakes would be completed in the next 42 months.

He asked the authorities concerned to protect lakes and tanks in their region and be cautious against land sharks who were eager to encroach upon them. “They have to take all steps to clear encroachments from existing lakes,” he said.

Rajendra Singh, water conservationist from Rajasthan, suggested community participation in preserving and conserving lakes. The district administration should be held responsible for encroachment of lakes, he added.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.