Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has set a new deadline of 30 days to clear the encroachments from the two lakes after dismissing the 105-day deadline set by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) designated officer.
Within 10 days, the BBMP must conduct a survey and physically mark the lakes that have been encroached upon, and surveyors and tahsildar must be assigned for the purpose, directed HC.
The court said that notices should be issued to the encroachers within a week. The human resource and machinery, including police protection, should be provided by the state government within three days and the encroachment should be removed in 10 days.
After noting that encroachment continues in the lakes despite the PIL in this matter being filed in 2014, a division bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J. M. Khazi gave these directions.
After inspecting Begur Lake, the CSIR-NEERI, an expert body, stated in a report that the BBMP has been doing de-watering, de-silting, and de-weeding work since July 2018.
“There is no reason why we shouldn’t accept the expert body’s opinion. BBMP is permitted to construct the walkway bund around the Subramanyapura lake measuring 3m in width using de-silted material from the lake,” the court stated.
The court also said that only mud should be used to build the bund. It asserted that the BBMP use the walkway bund for lake maintenance and that the bund is constructed properly.