Bengaluru: The Legislature Committee, set up to look into lake encroachments in and around the city, inspected nine lakes in Bengaluru East on Wednesday.
The panel members said they have started working on an interim report and will place it before the committee for discussion after the panchayat election results on June 9. Based on a request by the committee, the Revenue department has deputed 200 land surveyors to investigate encroachments.
During the visit, huge encroachment came to light in Lakes like Bellandur and Sankey Tank. However, on the other hand, the residents continued pleading, to which K B Koliwad, chairman of house committee on lakes said that he would look into the documents and a decision would be taken thereafter.
After the inspection, addressing the reporters, Koliwad gave a gist on the inspections done so far. He said, “The committee members started the day with a visit to Sankey Tank, which measures 40.24 acres. According to officials, 1.6 acres have been encroached. However, Srinivas, a resident, claimed that the land was given to his grandfather by the Mysuru rulers in 1954. He also gave a copy of the document to the committee members.
The committee then visited Channasandra lake in Banaswadi. The officials have given a report stating that of the 42 acres of lake area, 17.37 acres have been encroached.
The residents met the committee members and requested them to spare them. They said that like the BDA residents, they too had bought the land from landlords and have been residing here for the past 20 years. They said they have been paying taxes as well.
At Vinijapura lake, the committee found that 15.37 acres have been encroached, where at least 12,000 houses have been built. The residents said they are not land grabbers.
In Koudenahalli Lake, of the 55.5 acres, 34.10 acres around the lake have been encroached. “The encroachments have been cleared in only 2.4 acres. St Anne’s College has encroached 10.20 acres and they have gone to court. One Syed Alam and K S Rasheed Khan have encroached 2.26 acres and illegal layouts have come up in 18.25 acres. In 1.10 acres, a slum has come up with 120 houses. In all, 820 houses have come up here,” Koliwad said.
