The Hindu 27.08.2009
BBMP starts mapping city lakes
B.S. Ramesh
| Bangalore has lost at least 43 lakes so far, most of them in the heart of the city |
— Photo: Bhagya Prakash K. 
To be restored: A view of the Begur Lake in Bangalore.
BANGALORE: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has started a process of mapping lakes and water bodies that come under its jurisdiction.
It has also launched an exclusive website on the lakes www.bbmp.lakes.info for the benefit of the public. In addition to these steps, the palike has launched an action plan for the development of 143 of the 183 lakes coming under its jurisdiction.
Called Namma Bangalore Nisarga, the action plan says the total cost of renovating, reviving and protecting the 143 lakes would come up to Rs. 985 crore. It says work on demarcating boundaries of 21 lakes have already started.
Of the 183 lakes, 25 lakes have been developed, 21 taken up for development by the BBMP, 123 proposed for development, 12 lakes adopted by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and 2 by the Lake Development Authority.
Some of the lakes proposed for restoration include Puttenahalli in B. Pura, Allasandra, Yelahanka, Atturkere, Kalkere, Kaudenahalli, Chinnapannahalli, Kaikondanahalli, Ambalipura, Uttarahalli, Dorekere, Puttenahalli Kere in B. Halli, Dorekere, Dasarahalli, Nayandanahalli, Malgal, Deepanjali, Kodigehalli, Herohalli, Giudanapalya, Bellandur and Varthur.
Bemoaning the loss of water bodies in and around the city, it said 43 lakes, most of them in the heart of Bangalore, had been lost forever including Dharmambudhi which has now become the Kempe Gowda bus stand. It said almost all these lakes, except a few, had been breached under the malaria eradication programme and for forming layouts. It says Marenahalli Lake has given way to J.P Nagar locality, Chinnagara Lake to Ejipura, Challaghatta to Karnataka Golf Association, Siddapura to Jayanagar 1st Block, Geddahalli and Nagashetttahalli to R.M.V. Extensions, Kadirenahalli to Banashankari 2nd Stage, Tumkur Lake to Mysore Lamps factory, Ketamarenahalli to Rajajinagar, Gangasheti to Minerva Mills and grounds, Jakkaraya to Krishna Flour Mills, Sampige to Kanteerava Stadium, Shule to Football Stadium, Akkithimmanahalli to Hockey Stadium, Koramangala to NDDI, Kodihalli to New Thippasandra and Sonnenahalli to Austin Town.
Sounding a note of warning about depleting groundwater levels, the plan says there are 1.25 lakhs borewells in Bangalore and said the water-table would recede further, if lakes continued to be encroached or breached. It says the huge expenditure incurred on sinking borewells would go waste if the depletion of water-table is not arrested. Calling for revival of the lakes, the plan said under the first phase, boundaries would be demarked, lakes fenced and sewage inflow diverted. In the second phase, deweeding and desilting activities would be taken up apart from bund formation.
In the last phase, the area around the lakes would be afforested and low-key activities such as paddle boating would be permitted.
