Various agencies, including the Lake Development Authority (LDA) and other bodies assigned the tasks of preserving of waterbodies, have become ineffective and have allowed encroachment and degeneration of lakes, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India report tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Monday.
The performance audit for 2009–14 of 56 lakes says conservation work was taken up in an “ ad hoc manner” without prioritisation and coordination. The report, which was prepared after joint physical verification, said the LDA operates with a skeleton staff and did not initiate measures for an integrated approach in planning and prioritisation of lakes for restoration and development.
Shockingly, of the 56 lakes checked, 47 were categorised as severely polluted, with sewage being the major cause in 30 of them. Municipal waste, construction waste, industrial waste and open defecation were the other causes.
Storm-water drains carrying in effluents are a major reason for this with many underground drainage (UGD) pipes being over 40 years old.
Any restoration work will be “rendered largely unfruitful”, says the report, until the UGD works are completed and sewage treatment plants set up. It points that even in cases where drain water is diverted from lakes, no effort was made to bring in rainwater, leading to lakes drying up.
Interestingly, the agencies had not even demarcated the area of 53 of the 56 lakes and the survey had not been completed with regard to 31 lakes. Bylaws of the LDA stipulated that survey of lake area needed to be carried out.
“Coordination among implementing agencies was deficient, resulting in works taken up without adequate prioritisation, construction of sewage and diversion channels, fencing without removal of encroachments etc.,” the report said.
Action plan |
* N. Lakshman Rau Committee (1985) recommends constitution of implementing agency for lakes restoration |
* Lake Development Authority established in 2002 |
* High Court of Karnataka appointed a committee headed by Justice N.K. Patil to examine ground realities and prepare an action plan for restoration and preservation of lakes |
* Based on High Court decision, in April 2012, State government constituted various committees, including an Apex Committee, to monitor the conservation and restoration of lakes in May 2013 |
‘Adopt a lake’ scheme goes haywire
‘Adopt a lake’ scheme launched by the LDA in July 2004, wherein interested parties were given custody of lakes for restoration, was ineffective due to the LDA’s inability to redress problems such as dumping of construction debris, burial of dead bodies, and trespasses, faced by the adopting agencies.
Six lakes of Bengaluru were adopted under the scheme. But the scheme was not implemented as planned. The LDA said six lakes were taken back from adopting agencies as they had breached the agreement in developing and maintaining lakes, the CAG report said.
Interim report in 15 days
The House committee set up to probe encroachment of waterbodies in Bengaluru will submit its interim report within the next 15 days and the final report by September, said K.B. Koliwad, MLA and chairman of the committee.
The committee has been conducting inspections of lakes in the city.
Some blatant violations |
*LDA has not collected annual rents, including interest, from two leases – Lumbini Gardens Ltd and PAR.C, amounting Rs 48.64 lakh |
*Area of Rachenahalli lake in Bengaluru has been reduced from 168 acres to 128 acres and area of Doddanekundi lake reduced by 24 acres. Allasandra lake area (14,289.36 sqft) has been granted to unauthorised occupants |
*BDA has not collected cess of Rs 33.09 crore (2009-14) from building owners under its jurisdiction for rejuvenation of lakes |
* The State Government returned Rs. 44.04 lakh released by the Centre under National Lake Conservation Plan for restoration and management of Kamakshiplaya Lake in Bengaluru. The restoration work could not be taken up due to encroachment of lake bed |
