Puttenahalli Lake: Encroachment not cleared for a decade; Revenue Department not providing compensation

Puttenahalli Lake: Neglect of rehabilitation: Encroachment increases

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: The Revenue Department has neglected to rehabilitate the encroachers in Puttenahalli Lake, and the number of encroachments in the lake is increasing day by day.

The government has provided land for the rehabilitation of the encroachers and the BBMP has provided money for infrastructure, but even after a decade, no rehabilitation facilities have been provided. Although the court has ordered twice that the eviction operation should not be carried out before taking an appropriate decision on rehabilitation and providing it, senior officials of the Revenue Department have not taken action.

While the rehabilitation of the encroachers is being delayed, the number of encroachers in Puttenahalli Lake is also increasing. Although the lake has been well developed, because of encroachment maintaining cleanses being difficult. In September 2023, the BBMP had submitted an ‘action plan’ to the High Court stating that the encroachment of Puttenahalli Lake would be cleared within 75 days. No action has been taken even after a year and a half.

BBMP officials have closed the file with a statement stating that ‘The High Court had ordered in 2015 that the encroachment should not be cleared until the encroachments in Bettadasapura are rehabilitated.’ BBMP officials also say that money has been given to the Slum Development Board to construct a building. However, even after a decade, the BBMP, Revenue Department, and Sewage Elimination Board have not come forward to clear the encroachments and provide rehabilitation.

The Puttenahalli Lake in J.P. Nagar Phase 7 was developed by the BBMP in collaboration with the Puttenahalli Neighborhood Lake Improvement Trust a decade ago at a cost of crores. The trust has done a lot of work to protect the lake and has been involved in cleaning and greening the lake since 2008. As a result of all this, today, about 122 species of birds can be seen in the Puttenahalli Lake.

A petition signed by more than 1000 residents near the Puttenahalli Lake under the platform ‘Residents in the Vicinity of Puttenahalli Lake’ of J.P. Nagar Phase 7 has been given to local MLA M. Sathish Reddy. Referring to this letter, Sathish Reddy wrote a letter to the District Collector in November 2024. But no one is interested in rehabilitating or removing the encroachments.

Departments that have not taken action: Usha

‘Encroachments have remained in the Puttenahalli lake yard for decades. Letters have been written several times to the BBMP, the District Collector, and local MLA M. Sathish Reddy requesting them to take action in this regard. Although the court has ordered twice that the encroachers should be rehabilitated and then evicted, there is no coordination between the departments, and one is shirking responsibility by pointing fingers at the other. Since the Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department has not taken action, if the Chief Secretary intervenes and takes action, the lake, which has been developed at a cost of crores of rupees, can be kept clean,’ said Usha Rajagopalan, chairperson of the Puttenahalli Neighborhood Lake Improvement Trust.

Land given: Deputy Commissioner

‘2.5 acres of government land has been provided in Bettadasapura for the rehabilitation of Puttenahalli lake squatters. The district administration does not have the responsibility for the construction of buildings and houses, including infrastructure. Action should be taken by the Slum Development Board,’ said Deputy Commissioner Jagadish.

Letter: Land has been handed over to the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation’ for rehabilitation in Bettadasapura. The Lokayukta and the High Court have given directions, but no progress report has been submitted so far. The Deputy Commissioner wrote a letter to the Commissioner of the ‘Karnataka Slum Development Board ’ on September 19, 2023, requesting him to provide information about this immediately. However, there has been no progress.