The New Indian Express ·
TNIE Impact | Upa Lokayukta action prompts Rs 128-crore UGD project for Channapatna to save lakes
BENGALURU: The Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bengaluru South District, Yeshwanth V Gurukar, on Wednesday informed the Upa Lokayukta Justice K N Phaneendra that the state government has sanctioned Rs 128 crore for the underground drainage (UGD) for Channapatna town.
The DC has also submitted that Shettihalli lake, located in the heart of Channapatna town, which lost its sheen owing to silt and pollution, has been completely rejuvenated and beautified by the city municipal council by now and is ready to be inaugurated.
This has come following the registration of the suomoto complaints registered by Upa Lokayukta Justice Phaneendra over pollution and encroachment of lakes in and around Channapatna town, based on a report of the TNIE.
The DC further submitted that the land issue for the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) has also been resolved and the UGD network was proposed to be completed by the end of December so that the pollution of lakes in and around the Channapatna town can be avoided. Earlier Rs 94 crore was earmarked, but it was revised to Rs 128 crore, and a tender has been floated, he added.
The DC made these statements while the Upa Lokayukta was reviewing more than a half dozen suomoto complaints registered with respect to pollution and encroachment of Shettihalli lake, Kudluru lake, Ramammanakere, Kunneerukatte lake, Hodikehosahalli lake, SM Halli lake, rejuvenation of Kanva river and also over the dilapidated condition of Shrirama temple at Kudluru.
The engineers of the Minor Irrigation Department submitted that they have removed the encroachment of Kudluru lake. The Deputy Director of Land Records submitted that those engineers have to cooperate with them to earmark the buffer zone of the said lake. The Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) assured the Upa Lokayukta that they are taking up metaling, peripheral road, and under VB-G RAM G.
The Upa Lokayukta asked the DC to follow up on sanctioning of funds for the conservation work of the Shrirama temple with the Muzrai Minister so that the temple could be saved.
The engineers of the Minor Irrigation Department submitted that they have submitted a Rs 4.5 crore proposal to the department for construction of a retaining wall for conservation of Srirama temple.
Cross-verifying the compliance reports submitted by the authorities of the different departments with the Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Sneha P V, Bengaluru South District, the Upa Lokayukta directed her to examine the reports submitted by them today on the actual work on the ground and submit a report on the next date of hearing.