Bengaluru: Shikaripalya lake gasps for survival as netas fail to keep election promise

Bengaluru: Shikaripalya lake in Hullimangala is a classic example of political apathy and leaders' unkept electoral promises. The local representatives promised rejuvenation of the lake before the gram panchayat election.

Bangalore South MLA M Krishnappa promised the residents that survey and fencing of the lake would be initiated after the election, but the promise still remains unfulfilled.

The local residents say that two roads divide the 19-acre water body into three parts. The contaminated lake has been encroached upon from all sides, and is being used as a dumping yard.

"The lake comes under Hullimangala Panchayat, which doesn't have a designated land to dump garbage that is being collected from nearby localities. All this garbage is being dumped in the lake by the government vehicles apart from different private builders and vehicles," a local resident Ishan Singh told The Hans India.

Adding to the worse situation, meat shop owners around the lake throw the animal waste into the water body.

Wipro is said to have adopted the lake. Ishan said that the corporate giant is waiting for the fencing to be erected around the lake to take up the work.

"Initially when they started doing the work the locals stopped them. We have sent a letter requesting the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to take punitive steps but there has been no response yet," Singh lamented.

The Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) is another demand the residents say that needs to be fulfilled. The Storm Water Drain (SWD) is connected from this Shikaripalya lake to the downstream lakes. Among a list of demands also include installation of CCTV cameras.

In a meeting convened by DC Urban Manjunath and former IFS Yellapa Reddy, the encroachment of lakes, SWD etc were discussed where it was decided that the impediments with regards to the Shikaripalya lake will be sorted soon.

Krishnappa did not respond to the calls and texts from The Hans India.