Bengaluru: Minor Irrigation minister Shivaraj Tangadagi on Wednesday said that the department will take a strict action against encroachers and the department aims to clear encroachments on an estimated 2,259 lakes by next March. He was speaking to the media persons after holding a meeting with the department officials.
The department has set aside over Rs 90 crore for the purpose of erecting fences around the lakes and also clean Rajakaluves.

Taluk-wise tenders have been floated, and that as many as 2,000 to 3,000 lakes will be taken up annually under the encroachment clearance drive, he added.

All lakes under the jurisdiction of municipalities, zilla, taluk and gram panchayats will be developed in a phased manner.

Assistance will be sought from World Bank or Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for developing as many as 5,000 lakes under the Jala Samvardhana scheme.

A budget of Rs 20 crore has been earmarked for each district to build check dams on the Rajasthan model in the parched districts of Gadag, Koppal, Tumakuru, Raichur, Vijayapura, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagar and Chitradurga, he added.