Commercial conversion records conceal presence of Kukkarahalli Lake: Registrar

Mysore/Mysuru: Fresh issues have emerged over a 2.20-acre parcel of land on the banks of Kukkarahalli Lake, located within the Manasagangothri campus, opposite the Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar Stadium on Open-Air Theatre Road. The land falls within the Lake’s buffer zone.

At a protest held on Mar. 16, activists alleged that Government land had been converted for private use with the involvement of officials from the erstwhile Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) on Feb. 3, 2021.

They claimed that sites 1/4A, 1/4B, 1/4C, 1/4D, 1/5A, 1/5B, 1/5C and 1/5D were formed near Bhudevi Farm in an area originally earmarked as a public park and later converted into a commercial zone.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, University of Mysore (UoM) Registrar M.K. Savitha alleged that while converting the land for commercial use, records concealed the presence of the nearby Lake.

Records conceal the presence of Lake

She said that in 1945, before Independence, the Maharaja of Mysore had granted about 10 acres of land to a family. In 2008, MUDA approved the conversion of the land from park and open space to commercial use and the State Government gave its consent in 2010. However, the records did not mention the Lake located on the eastern side of the property.

Savitha pointed out that maps also failed to mark the Lake and that the matter was not brought to the Government’s notice. “Had the Lake been recorded, the approval may not have been granted,” she said and emphasised that construction is prohibited in buffer zones, with no building allowed within 100 feet of a Lake bund as per Government norms. “Given these restrictions, it is unclear how MUDA approved the conversion,” she added.

DC denied permission

The University had earlier planned to construct a building on the site, but permission was denied by the Deputy Commissioner as the land falls within the buffer zone. “If such strict rules apply, how was commercial conversion allowed?” she questioned.

She further noted that the original grant by the Maharaja stipulated that the land near the Lake be used only for horticulture, cattle rearing and agriculture. “On what basis can construction be permitted in violation of these conditions?” she asked.

Calling Kukkarahalli Lake a biodiversity hotspot and a habitat for rare bird species, Savitha said commercial activity is not permissible in such an ecologically sensitive area. She added that the University has sought clarifications from MUDA but is yet to receive a response.

MDA clarifies

Property holders claiming ownership of 2.20 acres near the lake have produced documents stating that the Maharaja of Mysore granted them the land in 1945. However, there are no official records of this with the then City Improvement Trust Board (CITB), the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) or the present Mysuru Development Authority (MDA). MUDA approved land conversion in 2008, followed by Government sanction in 2010. However, the records do not mention the lake adjoining the property. We have also not received any communication from UoM on this issue.  — K.R. Rakshith, Commissioner, MDA