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LDA and Citizens want to save Agara lake now On February 29, 2012, the Karnataka High Court cancelled the lease of Agara lake in HSR Layout which was given to Biota Natural Systems (India). Biota had filed a petition against the termination of lease of Agara lake by Lake Development Authority (LDA) in 2009. Following the High Court judgement, the lake has been handed back to the LDA.
Background Biota contested LDA’s termination in its petition. Biota claimed that it could not take up any development work on the lake due to the delay in handing over the lake. The lake was handed to Biota in August 2007. Right after that, Rudrappa, a resident of Agara village had challenged the lease of the lake by filing a PIL which was disposed off. In 2008, Environment Support Group (ESG), an NGO, filed a writ petition against the lease of the lake. ESG filed the petition on the grounds that the lease of the lake to profit-making organisations was in violation of principles of intergenerational equity and public trust. The lease was also against the Karnataka Parks Preservation Act, 1975, they claimed. This case was also disposed off.
However LDA demanded the termination of the lease of the lake in 2009 saying the lake was neglected by Biota and no development was carried out.
Residents to pitch in?
After flooding in HSR Layout due to Madiwala lake overflow few years ago, looks like stormwater drains are all connected to the sewage lines and no water is coming into Agara lake.”
LDA’s plans for Agara lake
Residents of Koramangala and HSR Layout are making After getting the efforts to maintain responsibility of the U V Singh says and revive Agara lake, LDA believes lake now since the LDA is open that their prime focus lease to the private to involving is to ensure good company has been inflow of water to the residents in cancelled. Save Agara lake. They are also Lake is an initiative reviving the lake. planning to construct taken up by the a sewage treatment residents of Mantri plant to ensure better Sarovar towers on Outer Ring Road quality water flowing into the lake. to maintain the lake. U V Singh, CEO, LDA, says, “we are Ganesan M, 44, member of the Save preparing a draft consisting of the Agara Lake initiative, says, “A lot of requirements of the maintenance people come to this lake from far of the lake and will submit it to off places. They are keen on reviving the state government soon. Our the lake and maintaining it.” engineers are examining the longterm requirements of the lake. Residents are now trying to Depending on that, if less fund is understand the reason for lower needed, the LDA itself will fund it. If water levels in the lake. Satheesh more fund is required, we will have Amilineni, a software engineer and to ask the state government to fund an active member of the community it.” says, “the problem with Agara lake is that water from catchment Singh says LDA is open to involving area is not directed into the lake. residents in reviving the lake. Just rainwater from HSR Layout Anisha Nair is enough for the lake to get full. Vol-4 Issue-06 21 Apr - 4 May 2012 CITIZEN MATTERS 11