Encroachments upon lakebeds under BIAAPA

The Lake Development Authority has found 1,363 of lake bed area under the Bangalore International Airport Area Planning Area (BIAAPA) being encroached upon. While some parts were encroached upon by temples, a resort and some brick kilns were also found on the land.

The LDA found these encroachments during a year-long survey of 120 lakes in parts of Devanahalli, Doddaballapur and Bangalore North taluks, over which the BIAAPA has jurisdiction.

In Kodenahalli of Vijayanagara hobli, Devanahalli taluk, encroachments were found on 124.3 acres of the 488.2-acre lake bed, while 115.8 acres have been encroached upon in the 342.6-acre Thimmegowdanahosalli lake in Kasaba hobli. Nearly 100 acres of Bettakote Amanikere and Boodagiri Amanikere lakes near Channarayapatna have been encroached upon.

Resort

A resort has come up on the encroached portion of the lake located off the Doddaballapur Road. Former chairman of the Dry Land Development Board R.N. Krishnamurthy is said to have encroached upon 9.3 acres of Rubbanahalli tank bed. He is also having a brick kiln. In several areas, LDA officials came across farmers who had extended the boundaries of their land as the water-level in the lake decreased.

Chief Conservator of Forests (LDA) U.V. Singh told

The Hindu that a report on the encroachment of lakebeds would be placed before the Task Force on Protection of Government Lands headed by V. Balasubramanium. “The task force will decide what action needs to be taken for clearing the encroachments,” he said.