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Lake Development Authority

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Lake Development Authority
Government Agency overview
Formed10 July 2002
Dissolved2015 (2015)
Superseding agencies
  • Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA)
  • Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA)
Key document
WebsiteArchived site of KLCDA

The Lake Development Authority (LDA) in Bangalore, Karnataka, and its successor the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KCLDA) were formed in 2002 and 2015 respectively. Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA) under the Minor Irrigation Department became the superseding agency.

Background

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Lake Development Authority was created by Government order on 10 July 2002 as a registered society for the monitoring, regeneration and conservation of lakes in and around Bangalore city, later extended in 2003 to all lakes within Karnataka municipal corporations. Rendered ineffective and largely inactive due to a lack of statutory authority, staffing, branch offices and funding the LDA claimed it could only feasibly play a role in mediate between citizens and the custodians of the lakes.[1]

To address these deficiencies, the Government passed the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority Act 2014 creating a superseding agency for the purpose of protecting, conserving, reclaiming, restoring, regenerating and integrating the development of lakes, whether natural or man-made in the state of Karnataka. The KCLDA was reported to have successfully prevented encroachments onto urban lakes during its short period of operation.[2]

In 2016, the KLCDA 2014 Act was repealed, and regulatory jurisdiction over the state's lakes handed over to the Minor Irrigation Department.[3] Activists claim the act was repealed to appease special interests.[2]

Lake privatisation

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The Karnataka government set up the Lake Development Authority (LDA) in July 2002, with an initial mandate of regeneration and conservation of lakes within BMRDA jurisdiction.[4][5] While LDA's scope was large, it was reduced to giving clearance to lake related projects. It was considered ineffective in dealing with encroachments.[6] In coordination with LDA, several organisations and funding agencies were involved such as an Indo–Norwegian collaboration,[7] and the National Lake Conservation Programme (NLCP) under the central government.[8] The LDA, under its public-private participation policy, began to lease out lakes for 15 years to private bodies.[9][10] In 2005 and 2006, it leased out four lakes, Hebbal, Nagavara, Venkanayakere and Agara.[11][12] The LDA contended that the organisation was not adequately staffed and that they did not have the finances for maintaining lakes on an ongoing basis; hence, the alternative was leasing out lakes to private parties.[10] Under another scheme, private companies located near lakes were offered to adopt the lakes, only five lakes were adopted.[9]

These private sector activities resulted in protests from citizen groups.[11][13][14][15] Issues raised and social damage caused due to this privatization covered a wide range of factors. This included jurisdiction limitations where lakes were not addressed as a continuum with land nor with respect to inter-lake linkages. The scope of non-compliance was increased including due to lack of coordination with other related authorities.[10] With respect to the private developer contending that the lake would be a unique recreational place, others felt that the entry fee per person would cause socio-economic exclusion of the traditional users such as farmers, fishing communities, cattle herders and washer–men. Environmentalists mentioned adverse affects on the lake's wetland ecology including lakes being reduced to pretty hygienic bowls.[16] In 2008 public interest litigations, including one by Environmental Support Group, seeking redress were filed.[17][18] In 2012 the High Court sought an end to privatisation of lakes.[19] However it made a number of observation including "private participation in such projects is in accordance with national water policy".[20] The final order contained a report titled "Preservation of Lakes in the City of Bangalore" (2011).[21]

This eventually resulted in the Karnataka legislature introducing an act resulting in the formation of the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA),[6][22] LDA was merged into this.[23] KLCDA was done away with in 2018.[24] Responsibilities of the KLDCA was transferred to the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA).[25]

References

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  1. ^ Upadhaya, Himanshu (4 August 2015). "Bengaluru lacks buffer zones, raja kaluves, data and will to protect lakes: CAG". Citizen Matters.
  2. ^ a b Thakur, Aksheev (28 February 2018). "Without KCLDA, city lakes left high and dry!". Deccan Chronicle.
  3. ^ Bharadwaj, KV Aditya (1 April 2018). "Governor signs lake amendment". The Hindu. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  4. ^ Dasgupta, Sanyukta (19 November 2011). "'Commercial interest cannot drive lake conservation in Bengaluru'". Down to Earth. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Cases on protection of lakes. Bangalore lakes". Centre for Science and Environment. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  6. ^ a b Sengupta, Sushmita (15 March 2015). "Saving city lakes". Down to Earth. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  7. ^ Kozhisseri, Deepa (15 May 2008). "Bangalore lakes leased out". Down to Earth. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  8. ^ "National Lake Conservation Plan". Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 9 March 2006. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  9. ^ a b Thippaiah, P (2009), Vanishing Lakes: A Study of Bangalore City (PDF), Social and Economic Change Monograph Series 17, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore, pp. 22–23, ISBN 978-81-7791-116-9
  10. ^ a b c D'Souza, Rohan s (2007). "Impact of Privatisation of Lakes in Bangalore". Centre for Education and Documentation. Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  11. ^ a b Ganesh, Maya; Cao, Yue (10 June 2014). "Governing the Commons through privatisation in the urban Global South: A Case of Bangalore Lakes Privatisation". blogs.ucl.ac.uk UCL Encyclopaedia of Political Ecology. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Of the dangers posed by privatisation of lakes". The Hindu. 23 June 2008. Archived from the original on 28 June 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  13. ^ Yeshwanth, Rajeev (24 June 2008). "Lake policy misguided, says forest department". Citizen Matters, Bengaluru. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  14. ^ Khandekar, Supriya (4 November 2008). "High Court stays privatisation of lakes". Citizen Matters, Bengaluru. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  15. ^ Gandhi, Divya (18 June 2008). "Campaign against lake privatisation". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  16. ^ Gandhi, Divya; Shivanand, Swathi (25 July 2007). "A farewell to Hebbal lake?". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  17. ^ Aggarwal, Shivangi (17 June 2021). "Karnataka revives dying lakes: Why a decentralised governance was long overdue". Down to Earth. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  18. ^ Valérie, Fernando (2008). "Disappearance and privatisation of lakes in Bangalore". partagedeseaux.info Global Watersheds. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  19. ^ Rao, Bhargavi S (8 January 2021). "Despite order on restoration, lakes continue to be threatened". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  20. ^ "High court sets guidelines on lake privatization". The Times of India. 12 April 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  21. ^ Sayeed, Vikhar Ahmed (11 September 2021). "Controversy over Siva statue in Begur lake, Bengaluru, communalises an environmental issue". Frontline. The Hindu. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  22. ^ Khanna, Bosky (31 July 2015). "Karnataka Lake Authority might just save the lakes". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  23. ^ Rao, Mohit M. (2 November 2015). "New lake development authority by December". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  24. ^ Rao, Mohit M. (23 February 2018). "Death knell for KLCDA before it could even take off". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  25. ^ Swaraj, Shilpa M. (21 July 2022). "Whom do you call to fix your lake?". Citizen Matters, Bengaluru. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
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