Mysore/Mysuru: Members of Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) and prominent citizens of Saraswathipuram have called upon the community to come together to retain and preserve the historic Kukkarahalli Lake, currently under the care of the University of Mysore.

The meeting, titled “Kukkarahalliya Prastuta Stitigati Haagu Sambhavaniya Sankashtagalu” (Current State and Potential Issues of Kukkarahalli), was led by City BJP President L. Nagendra and former Corporator Vedavathi at Sri Rama Mandira in Saraswathipuram recently.

He said that during BJP’s tenure in power, he, as an MLA, allocated financial grants worth crores of rupees for development of the Lake, including providing a walking path, greenery and other enhancements.

“I also attempted to prevent the entry of UGD water into the Lake, but it was not possible due to technical reasons,” he added.

He noted that despite recent heavy rains, the inflow of water to Kukkarahalli Lake remains very low. This is due to the development of various layouts in the city, such as Saraswathipuram, Kuvempunagar and Ramakrishnanagar, which have blocked the sources of water, including the Poornaiah Canal that historically facilitated rainwater flow into the Lake.

“We need to work towards clearing the encroachments of the canal so that water can flow into Kukkarahalli Lake,” said Nagendra, assuring that he would collaborate with environmentalists, experts and social activists in this effort.

MGP member K.V. Bhanu Prasanth emphasised that MGP has been continuously advocating for the preservation of Kukkarahalli Lake and sought the cooperation of residents of Saraswathipuram and surrounding areas, as they would be the ones most affected if the Lake were to be compromised.

MGP members Vishwanath, Nataraj, Arunkumar Shetty, S.V. Shankar, Puroshotham and residents of Saraswathipuram, including H.R. Bapu Satyanarayana, C.V. Gopinath and Vasudevarao were present.