Mysore/Mysuru: Speaking to Star of Mysore, former Minister and Narasimharaja MLA Tanveer Sait said that relentless efforts to save the Devanur Lake has paid off now with the MUDA beginning desilting works.

“In the last four to five decades, only sewage water was entering the water body and though there were reports of encroachment, we were able to prevent it and safeguard its boundaries. In 2009, I brought in Rs. 5 crore from the Government for Lake rejuvenation and the task was handed over to the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC).

The MCC had called for tenders but due to faulty Detailed Project Report, the works came to a standstill, he said.

“I have been continuously raising the issue in the Assembly and through many letters. I have approached the Lake Development Authority to save the water body and had even sent a proposal of Rs. 17 crore. We expected the funds to come in as the Lake would benefit a large population. But since it was a BJP Government, there was a discrimination in fund allotment. And funds never came,” Sait revealed.

When the issue was repeatedly raised by Sait in the Assembly, the Urban Development Minister assured on the floor of the House that he would get the work done on behalf of MUDA. “Now Rs. 5 crore has been released for desilting the Lake and Rs. 1 crore exclusively for fencing the entire Lake perimeter,” he said.

Removing sewage lines

“Another Rs. 8.5 crore project has been tendered to remove the sewage entry lines from the Lake. Administrative approval has been secured for all these works and tenders have been floated and the work order has also been issued,” Tanveer Sait added.

“A major challenge was the diversion of storm-water drain. There was a drain starting from Gayathripuram, passing through Gandhinagar and joining this Lake through Sathyanagar. One more drain starting from Raghavendranagar passing through Shanthinagar and Udayagiri also joined this Lake. The drains were diverted under the JnNURM scheme on the three sides of the Lake,” he revealed. 

“Now, we will have to put a storm-water drain on one side of the Lake with a concrete wall which will solve the sewage entry to the Lake. We also have proposed a 4 MLD (Million Litres per Day) Sewage Treatment Plant to fill fresh water to the Lake. The administrative approval for this has not been accorded. I have that in mind and will pursue,” Tanveer Sait added.