Who do you call to fix your lake?
A primer and database on lake agencies to contact to address lake issues.
by Shilpa Swaraj
Bengaluru was once known as the ‘City of Lakes’. But over the years, rapid urbanisation and population growth have resulted in various issues such as encroachment, untreated sewage inflow, and decline in biodiversity, leading to the overall deterioration of Bengaluru’s lakes.
There are many citizens, activists and lake groups who are taking up the cause of protecting and improving the city’s lakes. For sustainable change, engaged citizens and government agencies need to work together to solve problems. However, there is a lack of awareness of whom to approach regarding specific issues. This information gap has stopped people from stepping forward and addressing lake issues.
The disconnect between citizens and the government can be minimised by understanding the roles of each governmental agency in detail and approaching appropriate agencies for specific lake-related concerns. Listed below are agencies at different levels of the state government, responsible for the various aspects of lakes.
The chart below shows the different government bodies involved with lakes and the current governmental structure for Bengaluru Urban.
The image below shows the kind of work each agency is involved in:
In 2018, the Government of Karnataka (GoK) repealed the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA) Act and transferred all its responsibilities to the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA). KTCDA falls under the Minor Irrigation Department (MID) and is chaired by the Chief Minister. KTCDA is the regulatory agency for all lakes in Karnataka but the custody of lakes is under local government agencies. In Bengaluru Urban, lake custodians are primarily the BBMP and the BDA. You can reach out to them for most issues pertaining to a lake.
Contact lake custodians using this: Urban Bengaluru Lake Custodians List.
If the lake custodians are unresponsive, contact KTCDA at 080–2351371.
Similar to Bengaluru Urban, KTCDA is the regulatory agency for Bengaluru Rural as well. However, depending on the size and use of the lake, the custodian can be Zilla Panchayat (ZP) or MID. Lakes with area larger than 30 ha fall under MID and lakes with area less than 30 ha are under the custody of ZP or taluk panchayat. The person to be contacted for the issues concerning panchayat lakes is the executive officer at the taluk headquarter and the executive engineer of respective office division can be contacted for lakes under the custody of MID.
Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB)
Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC)
Karnataka Forest Department (KFD)
Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation (KFDC)
Bangalore Development Authority (BDA)
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)
Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB)
By understanding the roles of each governmental agency in detail and approaching appropriate agencies for specific lake-related concerns, we hope to reduce the disconnect between citizens and government.
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