‘Save Thippayyanakere’

Police Layout residents protest over civic woes, sewage entering lake

Mysuru: Residents of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Nagar (Police Layout), located at the foot of Chamundi Hill, staged a protest yesterday under the banner of Samana Manaskara Vedike, demanding basic civic amenities and immediate steps to stop polluted sewage water from entering the historic Lalithadripura Lake, popularly known as Thippayyanakere.
The 15.17-acre lake is located at Nadanahalli near the Ring Road in Lalithadripura village. It comprises 9.01 acres in Survey No. 30 and 6.17 acres in Survey No. 31.
Hundreds of residents gathered at the layout’s main entrance, blocking the road and disrupting vehicular movement for some time. They raised slogans against the Government and demanded immediate action.
The colony, developed by the Karnataka Police Employees Housing Co-operative Society and approved by the Mysuru Development Authority (MDA), has 1,954 sites.
Around 1,400 sites have been developed with houses and families are residing there. The layout comes under the jurisdiction of Rammanahalli Town Panchayat and Alanahalli Gram Panchayat.
Residents also complained that sewage flowing from neighbouring layouts has severely polluted Thippayyanakere. The lake was earlier rejuvenated with funds from Automotive Axles under its CSR initiative, with the guidance of the District Administration.
The lake once brimmed with water, attracted migratory birds, and was maintained by the Mysuru Zoo. Residents said the continuous inflow of sewage has now damaged the lake’s environment and its surroundings.

Lacking basic amenities
The protesters said that despite regularly paying taxes and other fees, residents continue to lack basic infrastructure.
Their main complaints include shortage of drinking water, badly damaged roads and pollution of Thippayyanakere.
They said the borewell water supplied to the colony is highly alkaline and unfit for drinking. Residents are therefore forced to depend on purified water units in nearby IPS Layout (Phase 3) and JSS Layout (Phase 2).
The internal roads, laid when the colony was developed, have deteriorated and are now filled with potholes, making it difficult for vehicles and pedestrians to move around.
No clean drinking water
Residents said several senior citizens and children had slipped and suffered injuries. Except for the main road developed with the support of legislators, no major repair work has been taken up on the internal roads, they alleged.
The protesters demanded a permanent supply of clean drinking water, immediate repairs to the internal roads and measures to prevent sewage from entering the lake. They also sought restoration and conservation of Thippayyanakere.
The Samana Manaskara Vedike said the District Administration should treat the issue as urgent in view of the large number of families living in the colony and take immediate steps to address their grievances.
Samana Manaskara Vedike President Thomas, Shivaswamy, Ashok, Manukumar, Mohan Rao, Lohith, Mahesh, Swami, Shivarama, Gagan, Leela Shivakumar, Shobha Dhananjay, Mohan Kumar, Siddarajegowda, Veena Kamath, Venkatesh, Shivanna and N.M. Mane, along with Devappa and more than 300 residents, took part in the protest.