Putting an embeded map in here for ease of pan and zoom on the area.

If I get Rithesh right, he suspects that point A and B marked below could be encorachments on the lake/bed area.

[gmap markers=letters::13.044829655345481,77.59924364159815 + 13.046300590906174,77.6133813872002 |zoom=14 |center=13.044445719485713,77.60381698608398 |width=500px |height=400px |control=Small |type=Hybrid]

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Especially area A. Until recently, it was huge barren land with boards of random educational trusts and companies. Now all of a sudden, massive leveling of land is taking place and the area is being stone walled. There is also a huge church adjacent to this region.

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Hi Ritesh,
  Is it not possible to get the information on the ownership of the land? This should not be very difficult but you may have to face the wrath of land sharks:-)

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Pointing this out to BWSSB/BBMP should be our job. but lets do it carefuly

Via RTIs to BBMP/BWSSB, we can take these 4 lakes (Hebbal, Nagavara, Varthur, Belandur) and ask for info that will give us details of "sanctioned" construction activity in adjoining areas.

What should we ask for? I am not knowledgable here - someone from real estate world (mcadambi?) would know what things we need to ask.

To be sure, and careful, We don't need to go into who is doing some construction that may be illegal. We can focus only on pointing out the fact that illegal construction may be happening in these areas.

Need just 2-3 people for doing these RTIs, not more.

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 I took some time to make a photo timeline of the lake bed area encroachments, courtesy - Big Brother.

[flickr-photo:id=3485567775.size=o]

Nov 13 2000

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_lLv85PG9vk0/SfgD2mTaMUI/AAAAAAAACSY/mztP1BEWZbY/01-Jan-21-2004002.jpg
Jan 21 2004
[flickr-photo:id=3485568001.size=o]
Jan 23 2005
[flickr-photo:id=3486384414.size=o]
Dec 08 2005
[flickr-photo:id=3486384556.size=o]

Dec 29 2006
[flickr-photo:id=3486384674.size=o]

May 17 2007

Its all here for us to see.

Regards,
Bengloorappa

[Uploaded images to Flickr since some members had difficulty seeing the images. Could not salvage the one for 21st Jan 2004 - Moderator]

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@Bangaloorappa: Great work. How did you do that? Should be very helpful in many other cases.

Thanks,

Ravi

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These are really shocking and sad!! Clearly details the decreasing greencover/lake area in the region. The first picture was take in 2000 - in less than 9 years the complete geography has been changed. Great work Bengaloorappa.

RTIs could be a bit tricky. We can request BDA/BBMP/BWSSB to look into his. Media attension is necessary.

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Area B is where the Manyata Embassy Business Park is located. Its a huge campus ( 2km by 1km may be). During heavy rains a couple of years back, the Park looked like a lake and this proves that this area was part of the lake system.

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There is another lake near Vidyaranyapura called Doddabommasandra lake. Legend has it that it was linked to Hebbal lake and this would have been an expansive lakesystem spanning over 10kms.

(To view doddabommasandra lake, move one click to the left and one click to the top on the second map and voila there is the empty lake.)

During my young days, 20 years back, this lake was full and as developments took place around the area, the lake dried up.

As part of the lake renovation project, this lake was cleaned up and I am sure crores were spent.

the renovation seems to have ensured that no water enters the lake :( no matter how heavy the rains are. Before the renovation there used to be some water atleast but not to the level of 20 years back.

Is there any way we can find out why water is not entering this lake? Any pointers? I can walk around the lake and check.

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How green in 2000. And then appears the flyover. Next the BMTC depot. Perhaps the two are legal constructions (public purpose?). And then some earthwork just left of Nagavara lake. Then more and more, including the church.

Looking at the pattern, area between BMTC depot and church looks ripe for next round of earthwork :)

Hope some newspapers pick this up. Journalist friends of ours, please take note!

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We should all thank Google earth for its historical imagery feature. Just install the latest version and everyone can see all facts laid bare, no RTIs required for a change.

I am going to do this for all lakes as and when I find time, it would be great if we can get some of our friends in the mainstream media to pick this story up as these images potentially can have a lot of impact in proving all that we are talking about recently.

Regards,
Bengloorappa

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That was just enlightening, to be able to see the evolution of a place like that and see the encroachment and destruction of the lake system.  In fact, I went through and captured an even higher level view from 2000, 2004 and 2008.

I can quite clearly make out a ring of lakes  as well as interconnecting valleys or flood plains around B'lore.It shows up as a green belt.  Various lakes around Bangalore, as is well known I think, are clearly connected to each other.  We have a lake system and not individual lakes.  Please see images from y2000, 2004 and 2008. I have tried to mark the ring with a red loop.

[flickr-photo:id=3486948547,size=m]

[flickr-photo:id=3486948969,size=m]

[flickr-photo:id=3486948787,size=m]

These lakes are wetlands that are also critical ground water recharge points - an alternate means of rain water harvesting, if you will.

There must definitely be a study cataloging all the past lakes in Bangalore and how the system of lakes are interconnected etc. Is anybody aware of such a study?

I also wonder if ISRO has satellite images that go fruther back that can clearly decipher the lake network system better.  As Pranav pointed out, the Bellandur-varthur lake link is clearly being severed by new ground leveling and construction.

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