Arkavathi river related news in times of india Reviving Arkavathy hits dead end Jan 27, 2014, 05.25AM IST TNN BANGALORE: Work on reviving the Arkavathy river, once the only source of drinking water for Bangalore, has hit a wall. Dead along several of its stretches, the rivers rejuvenation is expected to bring water to Thippagondanahalli reservoir and play a significant role in quenching the thirst of Bangaloreans. On Wednesday, an encroachment clearance drive along the river basin spearheaded by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) was stopped at Madanayakanahalli, off Tumkur Road, Nelamangala taluk. The drive has been taken up in the catchment area of Arkavathy river from Nandi Hills to Thippagondanahalli, to facilitate the water bodys rejuvenation. House owners and farmers belonging to 20 villages in the area staged a protest, saying they were kept in the dark about the rejuvenation project. With elections round the corner, the issue has acquired political colours with local politicians putting pressure on the government to stop the project and not disturb people living along the river course. Speaking to TOI, members of the Arkavathy- Kumudvathi River Rejuvenation Committee (activists and citizens group formed in 2005 to save the river) admitted that the rejuvenation drive faces the risk of losing momentum due to political and bureaucratic hurdles. Doddy Shivaram KC, heading the committee, said a GoK notification dated September 18, 2003, made it clear that no person shall carry on activities other than agriculture or agriculture- related activities within one km of the banks of Arkavathy and Kumudvathi rivers. Kumudvathi is a tributary of Arkavathy. Shivaram said documents obtained through RTI have revealed that the authorities who are supposed to meet every month to oversee the implementation of notification have met not more than thrice in the last decade. Not just houses, illegal layouts have come up close to the river course. There is dumping of solid waste and quarrying activities as well, he added. Another committee member, on condition of anonymity, said that a legislator, who spearheaded the rejuvenation drive during 2013 appeared to have reversed his stand as he was found supporting protesters recently. Also, an MLC who figures in the list of encroachers is playing politics to stop the rejuvenation work, he added. A senior official of the BDA task force formed to clear encroachments said they started clearing encroachments near Tumkur Road, following a recent high court directive on the same. We will bring the fresh developments to the notice of the court and act accordingly, he added.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 07:02:28 +0000
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