Bellandur Lake Bed - Land fill activity in full swing!?

211

silkboard - 3 May, 2011 | Bangalore | environment | Citizen Reports | Living | lakes | Bellandur Lake

Massive land fill operation seems to be on in the Bellandur Lake bed area. Marking the exact location on the map below.

[gmap circle=12.934194623328265 , 77.67845964379376 + 0.2197766632825342 |circle=12.940803120702384 , 77.68060541100567 + 0.14575556644635929 |zoom=14 |center=12.93731067713407,77.67660140991211 |width=500px |height=400px |control=Small |type=Map]

Its not really the lake itself, but the lake bed area on the right side of the bund/road adjoining the lake. Any chance this land fill activity could be illegal?


COMMENTS

I'll do  the postman's

begeprasad - 4 May, 2011 - 14:08

I'll do  the postman's job.

I'm not very good at framing questions. If somebody gives me the list of questions to ask, I'm willing to file the RTI application at BBMP.

2015 CDP map of Bellandur area

gbhupesh - 27 July, 2011 - 14:14

That' how it was shown in 2015 CDP , Purple color indicate industrial /High Tech area. 

RTI with BWSSB and BBMP

silkboard - 4 May, 2011 - 05:47

Let us ask both of them on

  • who owns this peice of land
  • what are the rules regarding lake bed encorachment
  • is this filling in violation of a court order issued recently by High Court (in response to a PIL from ESG

I will be in a position to file this only on May end. Anyone else wants to volunteer before then, raise your hand please.

Noticed this a month or so

idontspam - 3 May, 2011 - 06:41

Noticed this a month or so ago. I ws trying to get the mail id's of LDA/BBMP lake folks to notify them. They are probably hand in glove as well. I cant believe administrators can be so blind to goings on in the area. Isnt it mandatory to put up information if any construction work is happening? What a tinpot democracy we have become, everything goes. 

Lake rejuvination?

srinidhi - 3 May, 2011 - 08:25

Looking at the location..was wondering if its part of any lake improvement plans where they have this habit of building islands..with trees and bamboo etc..

If its encroachment then guess lokayukta or the lake autority can be approached..the encroachment of lakes is seen as major issue these days and hopefully action will be taken if there is indeed an issue!

unable to view

rackstar - 3 May, 2011 - 10:46

I am unable to view the map. Please give hyperlink to google maps website itself. Thanks.

I have been seeing this going on for quite sometime now. It started in dec 2010, or even earlier. But, then I was not sure if it is a part of the lake, or some nearby land belonging to someone else!

Can v do something

naveen_blr - 3 May, 2011 - 14:58

B4 its too late?

Mail the BBMP/BDA folks, file an RTI?

List of questions: 1. 

n - 4 May, 2011 - 18:43

List of questions:
1.  Please indicate on a map the ownership records for the land adjoining the east of Bellandur lake to the Agrahara road to the north and east and ORR road to the south and east.
2.  Subgrade preparations appear to be on-going at the northeast and southeast corners of the land area adjoining the lake.  Please provide information on proposed development.

barking up the wrong tree?

murali772 - 5 May, 2011 - 06:42

Some body had earlier raised the issue of 'development' of these lands. But, if I undertand correctly, he was not able to take it far. In the first place, I don't think these lands classify as 'lake bed'. These are down-stream of the 'kere', and lake beds are generally flood plains on the upstream side. These are essentially agricultural lands which have got converted to 'housing/ commercial' lands. So, if at all there can be an issue, it can be about that. But then, when there's alround development happening, how can you ask the owner to continue his farming, particularly when the builders dangle such huge carrots in front of him?

Bad 'master plan' -ning, and unregulated development are the essential problems. And, as long as you have the likes of Ashok and Katta holding forth (now through their stooges, in the form of the Mayor and Dy Mayor), it's gioing to be a difficult battle, with shots having to be fired from the shoulders of a Justice Hegde or the odd Mr Siddiah. The emphasis on getting the right kind of people elected is all the more, therefore, if you want the right kind of development/ governance.

There can be a silver lining to this particular development, though. Whoever is going to be occupying these buildings will have to do something major to survive the mosquitos and stink emanating from the Belandur tank, in its present state, and hopefully that will lead to proper revival of it as a clean water body. Let's pray for that.
 

Lake boundaries

idontspam - 5 May, 2011 - 08:08

In the first place, I don't think these lands classify as 'lake bed'.

Wht are the rules of building around a lake? Are we sure these boundaries are well defined? If so why arent maps displayed prominentaly around these lakes? 

From what I saw while passing by the road on the bund a fencing has been broken to dump this debris, so what is the meaning of that fence? Is that a boundary? I think the RTI also has to ask for official boundaries of the lake. 

I have a similar issue on the northern edge of Hebbal lake, Myself & Ritesh did a recon and found dumping with signboards by private parties claiming land was theirs. Along the highway (eastern) edge you will see BDA having demolished some such signs & having posted their own. Its a dogfight around these lakes. 

I was by Bagmane yesterday and saw the lake filled with hyacinth & filth. Apart from the fountain, the lake (or whatever is left of it) looked unhealthy. I would want all those companies in Bagmane responsible for maintaining the lake but BBMP/LDA should audit & ensure they are kept healthy. Have some activities so it remains useworthy. Canoeing, Kayaking programs, swim programs etc in all these lakes, Water sports anyone?

 

need to do it fast..

srinidhi - 8 May, 2011 - 01:08

As we know there have been numerous instances of the land sharks..err..pishachigalu.. eating away the lake beds..the recent instance was in the press few days ago..

Residents of KR Puram ward are cursing government officials for their failure to stop encroachments of the 32-acre Kowdenahalli Lake over the years. After the damage was done, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has finally taken up renovation of the leftover lake area.

more here

 In a recent discussion,

idontspam - 9 May, 2011 - 18:49

 In a recent discussion, industry members expressed concern and highlighted the need for a synergized movement toward the protection and restoration of the Bellandur Lake.

more

CDP map

sanjayv - 27 July, 2011 - 16:01

Nice.  The map is a bit unclear, so I am not able to make out the details.  Could you comment on the map and the situation as it is today. What is the area shown in green?  There is also a dark purple versus a light violet sort of colour.  What are the red boxes? Can you also post a picture of the area near the Top Right corner of this figure.  A lot of activity is afoot there and the interconnection between Bellandur and Varthur tanks have been reduced to narrow, hemmed in streams..

lagends

gbhupesh - 27 July, 2011 - 16:30

Green areas are usually park/valley,sensitive areas etc .. 

Village name in pics are Yamalur,  Devarabeesanahalli, Karlyammana Agrahara,  Kempapura.  Bellandur.

Pic shows OuterRring road (envloped with small blue box) from Bellandur towards Marathalli. Bellandur at bottom left corner and Marathalli at top right corner. 

 

Thanks for the legend

sanjayv - 28 July, 2011 - 04:42

I will have to dig up some old posts and integrte a response post.  However, I can state with some amount of certainty that the valleys (The green patches in the map) are pretty either filled in or in the process of being filled in.

just bumping this up

silkboard - 7 June, 2013 - 10:39

Have also cleaned up mis-spelt tags etc so that all Bellandur Lake stuff is there at http://praja.in/en/tags/bellandur-lake

 

land grabbing ground view

srinidhi - 11 June, 2013 - 15:24

This picture was taken last week from Prestige Tech Park..looking towards Bellandur lake..

The red arrows are the walls being constructed by the encroachers after filling up the land..the blue arrow indicates the actual lake way behind..see the extent of encroachment!

For everyone's viewing pleasure, historical images extracted from google earth.

 

Bellandur Lake Satellite Images

First question: ownership

sanjayv - 12 June, 2013 - 03:17

First question I have is - What is the ownership history of all these land areas where soil is being filled and construction happening.  How much of it is private land, how much is public land?  Does anyone know?

In the CDP 2015, these areas are zoned as Industrial, High Tech etc.  There is only a buffer zone around the Rajakaluves which are zoned as protected land.  Did the government actually own this protected buffer?  What are the laws surrounding this? Clearly, this buffer area has also been encroached all around this place.

I would think the whole low lying  area should come in the flood plain of the lake... so hy is it zoned as Industrial/Hi Tech?

Does anybody know?

Government doesnt own!

srinidhi - 12 June, 2013 - 06:13

The lake and its surrounding area is public property and govt does not own any part of the land nor individual owners..this is what I learnt from a post by HU.. 

So if that is the case, then how can govt draw up a CDP 2015 or even 2050 and eat off public land?

We have seen and suffered with their older plans of putting up huge industrial areas like Peenya, EC, EPIP etc without any proper infrastructure/connectivity and spoil everything..should they be trusted to safe guard lakes?

The are always in cohoots with the builders..petty narrow minded people..

The latest news abt lakes killed by BDA is in DH today

I would say..reclaim all and make a NYC central park kind of a place there..

Water bodies like lakes,

vatsan007 - 12 June, 2013 - 09:04

Water bodies like lakes, pools are eco-systems which have to be preserved for the future. They in turn recharge groundwater and shelters birds. Town planning should comprise all these, but our netas/babus leave alone planning, cannot even preserve the existing ones.

Bellandur lake earlier was a big water body making its way to Varthur lake. First hit to the lake came in the form of a road cutting through it connecting "yemlur and bellandur". One side is anyway gone with Shobhas and Mantris, land filling, illegal borewell drilling. This is now continuing unabated with Prestige, Purvankara also coming in. As usual, the nexus between real estate builders and babus is thriving.

 

 

All lakes should be owned by

abidpqa - 12 June, 2013 - 09:31

All lakes should be owned by the government, just like forests. Although, now late to say this, conversion of lakes if done should be done only after public consultation.  Now, somebody fills up the lake and then either convert by influence and if influence does not work plead they have made huge investments. To do unlawful things and say it is investment is something .. wrong. Gov should look into eyes of investors say to so called investors and say somethings are wrong and cannot be compromised.


PRAJA.IN COMMENT GUIDELINES

Posting Guidelines apply for comments as well. No foul language, hate mongering or personal attacks. If criticizing third person or an authority, you must be fact based, as constructive as possible, and use gentle words. Avoid going off-topic no matter how nice your comment is. Moderators reserve the right to either edit or simply delete comments that don't meet these guidelines. If you are nice enough to realize you violated the guidelines, please save Moderators some time by editing and fixing yourself. Thanks!