Bengaluru Lakes Encroached: BBMP Reveals Extent
WATER & WASTE

Bengaluru Lakes Encroached: BBMP Reveals Extent

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) informed the Karnataka High Court that 235 acres across 183 active lakes in Bengaluru have been encroached upon by private parties and government agencies. Legal measures are being taken to reclaim these lands.

A joint survey by BBMP and the Revenue Department uncovered the scale of encroachments, disclosed in an affidavit filed during a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) hearing by Citizen Action Group. This is the first time BBMP has revealed comprehensive lake encroachment details.

Of the 183 lakes, 120 are partially encroached by private entities, while 131 are occupied by government agencies for infrastructure projects. Despite this, BBMP has reclaimed only seven acres from 13 lakes.

Over the past three years, BBMP allocated ?52.55 crore for lake conservation, installing 38,321 meters of fencing, with 12,575 meters still underway. Following court directives, BBMP published lake encroachment details on its website.

During a recent hearing, the court demanded precise data on encroachment extent, reclaimed areas, and pending actions. Advocate General K Shashikiran Shetty presented details, but petitioners argued the lack of specifics hindered eviction efforts. The court directed BBMP to submit detailed reports, postponing the hearing.

Encroachments by private entities include structures on 88 lakes, religious buildings on 42, and slums on 9. Government projects, including roads, cemeteries, temples, and bus stands, affect 131 lakes. BBMP faces a formidable challenge in reclaiming and conserving Bengaluru’s water bodies.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) informed the Karnataka High Court that 235 acres across 183 active lakes in Bengaluru have been encroached upon by private parties and government agencies. Legal measures are being taken to reclaim these lands. A joint survey by BBMP and the Revenue Department uncovered the scale of encroachments, disclosed in an affidavit filed during a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) hearing by Citizen Action Group. This is the first time BBMP has revealed comprehensive lake encroachment details. Of the 183 lakes, 120 are partially encroached by private entities, while 131 are occupied by government agencies for infrastructure projects. Despite this, BBMP has reclaimed only seven acres from 13 lakes. Over the past three years, BBMP allocated ?52.55 crore for lake conservation, installing 38,321 meters of fencing, with 12,575 meters still underway. Following court directives, BBMP published lake encroachment details on its website. During a recent hearing, the court demanded precise data on encroachment extent, reclaimed areas, and pending actions. Advocate General K Shashikiran Shetty presented details, but petitioners argued the lack of specifics hindered eviction efforts. The court directed BBMP to submit detailed reports, postponing the hearing. Encroachments by private entities include structures on 88 lakes, religious buildings on 42, and slums on 9. Government projects, including roads, cemeteries, temples, and bus stands, affect 131 lakes. BBMP faces a formidable challenge in reclaiming and conserving Bengaluru’s water bodies.

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Large-sized Deals Drive 40% of Industrial & Warehousing Demand

With 25.6 million sq ft of gross leasing in 2024, industrial & warehousing demand across the top five cities remained healthy, witnessing a marginal 2 per cent YoY growth. Although, there was a noticeable dip in leasing activity during the last quarter, strong space uptake in the earlier quarters ensured steady leasing levels during 2024. During the year, Delhi NCR led the demand with 26 per cent share, closely followed by Chennai at 23 per cent share. On a quarterly basis, Q4 2024 saw about 5.5 million sq ft of industrial & warehousing demand across the top five cities. Pune, closely followed..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Vedanta Aluminium Launches Advanced Operational Dashboard

Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has launched an innovative operational dashboard at its Jamkhani Coal Mine, Odisha. This state-of-the-art digital platform integrates real-time data, optimises performance metrics and automates routine processes. Developed in-house by a dedicated team, this dashboard leverages the First Principles approach to track mining operations at their most fundamental levels. It delivers actionable insights for achieving operational excellence through the Time-in-Use Model (TUM), which measures planned and actual cut rates, real-time coal expos..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

PNC-KKR Deal Nears Completion

Infrastructure company PNC Infratech has received in principle approvals from NHAI to transfer 100 per cent stake held by it in two subsidiaries (SPVs) for the Bundelkhand and Khajuraho road projects to the KKR-backed Highways Infrastructure Trust. With this, the PNC-KKR deal is on track for closure by March 31, 2025 as PNC Infratech is in the process of fulfilling the conditions precedents (CPs) for the transaction. One of the major CPs under the deal included change in control approvals from the highway authorities and no objection certificates from the lenders to the projects, according to ..

Hi There!

"Now get regular updates from CW Magazine on WhatsApp!

Join the CW WhatsApp channel for the latest news, industry events, expert insights, and project updates from the construction and infrastructure industry.

Click the link below to join"

+91 81086 03000