Bengaluru, Sept. 6: Ecologists have cautioned the government that handing over lakes controlled and managed by the forest department to other departments could cause further devastation to wetland systems in Bengaluru.

The forest department has expertise in maintaining water bodies and activities such as nurseries, raising plants, encouraging bird migrations and banning motor boats inside the lake. Hence the water bodies must not be taken from the department’s control many say.

“The major difference between the lakes that are managed by the forest department and other civil agencies is change of land use in the riparian zone — the area between water and land,” points out Dr T.V. Ramachandra, Wetland and Energy Research Group, IISc.

“The bushes, small plants and connecting streams essential for a healthy water body are often removed to make way for jogging tracks. This affects the water percolation capacity of the catchment area,” he added.

The change in land use pertaining to lakes has cost the city whenever it rains. Floods in the city are linked to the total lack of attention to the nature of region’s hydrological system.

“Despite the knowledge of occurrence of heavy rain and its frequency, natural drainage channels are not maintained, catchment area of lakes have been allowed to be encroached upon by the land mafia in connivance with the government machinery,” Dr Ramachandra said.

“This is something our ancestors knew. But our current urban planners and politicians don’t worry about such mundane things,” he added.