Karnataka:Dried out Chikkaballapur lake to get a medical college

Bengaluru: The Chikkaballapur district administration has transferred 22 acres of lake land through its revenue department (survey number 109) to the Department of Medical Education to build a medical college. The land has been transferred on the pretext that it is government kharab land. The transfer took place on February 25, 2016.The handing over comes in the midst of calls to save lakes in the state.

Amid calls to save lakes in the state, the Chikkaballapur district administration seems to be doing something on the contrary.

A complaint has been filed against the district administration to the Upalokayukta in this matter by the Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath (JSP), an NGO. Elaborating on the nature of complaint Narayan B S, Executive Member, JSP said “we have stated in the complaint that it was an illegal change of land use by the revenue department officials concerned. The change now also reflects in the khata with the lake land converted to kharab land. The extracts of khata reflect that the district administration has converted the entire 170 acres of land into kharab land. This act not only amounts to maladministration, but is also in contravention of the laws of the land. The authorities have also ignored several directions by the High Court,”

Besides the 22 acres transferred for building of a medical college in 2016, 2010 saw 70 acres of the lake land transferred by the district administration in Anakannur village, Kasaba hobli, in exchange for 10 acres of land with the Horticulture Department.

Amani Gopalakrishna lake is the biggest lake in Chikkaballapur, with an extent of 287.85 hectares (711 acres). The lake is spread across five survey numbers in six villages of the district which is reeling under severe water crisis. The lake area in question is at survey number 109 with an extent of 170.5 acres. The lake comes under Chikkaballapur city limits and is adjacent to National Highway 7. The Revenue Department is the custodian of the lake while the Irrigation Department looks after its maintenance.