Process:

1. Lake receives rain water and recharges groundwater.
2. Dumping of building debris (C & D Wastes) in storm water drains connecting the lake;
3. Due to blockage, water from the catchment stops reaching the lake;
4. Marshy vegetation and pioneer species starts growing;
5. Land mafia approaches bureaucracy claiming lake as ‘dead’;
6. Insincere bureaucracy without understanding the implications of removal of lake ecosystem, recommend de-notification.

Example: Pattandur Agrahara Lake located in the Varthur Lake Catchment has an area of 12 Acre 37 Gunta (RTC).  The status of Lake during 2003 to 2017 is depicted in Figures 5.1 and 5.4.  Land record status as per Boomi records is given in Figure 5.2, while Figure 5.3 highlights ownership of the land - is in the custody of the Government on 2009-10 (Figure 5.3). However, recent field survey reveal of  attempts to convert lake land  for building purposes.

Figure 5.1: Revenue map of Pattandur Agrahara (Survey no: 54 – Tank)

Figure 5.2: Land record Status

Figure 5.3: RTC

Figure 5.4: Status of the Lake (during 2009-2017)

Land use status: Figure 5.5 indicates land use somewhere between 1900 - 1910 (Revenue map scale 1: 6000) indicating Road, Built-up, Lake and streams. During this time the area of the lake (Survey number 54) was about 12 acres 37 guntas. Figure 5.6 depicts the land use dynamics of Pattanduru Agrahara Village during 1973 to 2017. The existing lake boundary is nearly 11 Acres. Figure 5.7 Depicts the exiting condition of Pattanduru lake, there is no construction activity inside the lake, the boundary of lake have been encroached. The lake is covered with scrub vegetation. It is observed that the agriculture/plantations has been converted to built-up, encroaching streams (Survey number: 94, 99, 100, 123) and lakes (Survey Number 85 and 124, Figures 5.8 and 5.9).

Land use map as per the CDP, 2015 is depicted in Figure 5.10, which highlights the conversion of lake area to ‘industrial’, which highlights the lack of knowledge among decision makers about the importance of lakes in sustaining water and food (fish, fodder, etc.) in the region.

Source of Data

1. Revenue maps : http://landrecords.karnataka.gov.in/service3/
2. RTC data : http://landrecords.karnataka.gov.in/service0/
3. City development plan : http://www.clearvalue.in/cdp/cdpMap.html?Loc=BlrEast#
4. Satellite Data :
1. United States Geological Survey : https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/
2. Indian Remote Sensing Data : /www.nrsc.gov.in
5. Google earth : https://www.google.com/intl/en_in/earth/ (Digital Globe Satellite data)