Redundant white elephant : Lake Development Authority

Deeply concerned with the unchecked deterioration of lakes in and around Bangalore and conscious of their critical role in maintaining healthy environs, ecological balance, and recharging of ground water,
Lake Development Authority was created vide Government Order No. FEE/12/ENG/02, Bangalore, Dated. 10th July 2002 as an autonomous regulatory, planning and policy body for Protection, Conservation, Reclamation, Restoration, Regeneration and Integrated Development of Lakes, whether natural or man-made, as a nonprofit registered society under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1959.

Government of Karnataka on 30.04.2003 extended the jurisdiction of the Lake Development Authority over the lakes in the other city municipal corporation of the state as they are the main sources for drinking water.

However the ground reality after 14 years of the existence of LDA is that the lakes continue to disintegrate at a faster pace, the public exchequer is poorer by 20 crores, the ground water is depleting, water famine looms large on Bengaluru. The LDA has failed utterly and miserably in its primary functions. There is no synergy between BBMP, BDA, DCF (urban) agencies responsible for maintenance of 193 lakes with water quality even unfit for aqua life. The CEO of LDA has expressed his inability to look after the development of lakes in Bengaluru in May 2014 itself.

It is very surprising that the provisions of sections 24, 25, 33, 42 etc under the central water Act 1974 which gives adequate legal cover to act against any individual, company or Govt agency who are involved in polluting the lakes or any water stream, both natural and manmade has never been used by the LDA in the last 14 years, in their noble objective of protecting the lakes in and around Bengaluru. The revenue laws are potent enough to evict any encroachment but seldom used by LDA. It is this unwillingness to act against offenders which is the cause of all ills and not the absence of any law on the issue.

However rather than using the existent powerful laws for protection of lakes, certain vested interests in order to give a fresh lease of life for the most ineffective, inefficient and incompetent Lake Development Authority have now enacted a new law The Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority Bill 2014, an unwanted infructuous bill which we can do without. Efforts are on to ensure that this bill is not enforced.

It is abundantly clear that LDA only wants to exercise its powers but not to enshoulder the responsibility to ensure scientific implementation of existing Laws to protect and develop lakes. It may not be out of place to mention that vested interests are behind passage of such infructuous laws simply for empire building by creating another Authority for maintenance of lakes when so many already exist. It will not be incorrect to presume that these lobbies are probably overworking to protect the inactive, inefficient, organization called LDA which has thoroughly failed to protect, conserve, reclaim, restore and rejuvenate the lakes in and around Bengaluru for which they were established in the first place which proves an empire building exercise is in process and not an iota of public interest is involved.

The dismal record of activities of the Lake Development Authority since its inception in July 2002 begs the question why not disband LDA with immediate effect or make LDA proactive to enshoulder their basic responsibilities? Since KSPCB is the sole authority to protect all water bodies in the state the LDA should be made a section under KSPCB, to safeguard the lakes in and around Bengaluru before these precious water bodies are converted in to SEWAGE DUMPS affecting the health of millions humans as well as flora and fauna, which will destroy the ecological balance. Govt of Karnataka should just drop this new infructuous bill in public interest, since not even one case of implementing provisions of this act is available in public domain even though the act is in operation since 5 June 2015.

The Govt of Karnataka must act now swiftly before it is too late. Water Famine will be next disaster ready to hit Bengaluru in particular and Karnataka in general if not acted now.

I love my India

Jai Hind