Deccan Herald 27.06.2013
BMRCL may rejuvenate 78 lakes
Govt planning to hand over water bodies to Corporation
Tasked with building rail road infrastructure
in the City, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is set
to enter the marshland as the State government is contemplating handing
over at least 78 lakes to it for rejuvenation.
The
issue of handing over 78 lakes to the BMRCL was taken at a meeting where
the City in-charge minister Ramalinga Reddy and senior bureaucrats of
the State were present, said sources in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara
Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).
Of
the 78 lakes identified for handing over to the BMRCL, six are with the
BBMP and the rest with the BDA. Those with the BBMP are Mahadevapura
Lake, Kundalahalli Lake, Challakere Lake, Gollahalli Lake,
Kammagondanahalli Lake and Nayandahalli Lake.
the BMRCL has funds and expertise in civil engineering, which is
essential for the lake rehabilitation. It is also learnt that a decision
was taken in the meeting to make an additional budgetary provision of
Rs 90 crore for lake improvement.
For restoration
Confirming
this, Ramalinga Reddy said the government is planning to hand over
certain lakes in Bangalore to the BMRCL. “There is a proposal to assign
certain lakes to the BMRCL for restoration,” said Reddy.
When
contacted, BMRCL spokesperson Yeshwanth Chavan said he has no
information about the Government’s decision to give 78 lakes to the
BMRCL for rehabilitation.
“We will accept the job if the
Government entrusts it to us. Namma Metro has already undertaken
rejuvenation of two lakes at Veerasandra near Electronics City and
Kengeri Lake,” said the officer.