Residents and visitors are concerned about Sankey Tank turning into a concrete outpost.
Facing opposition from the residents of Sadashivanagar, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has halted work on Sankey Tank’s entrance. Residents have opposed the height of the proposed name which blocks the view of the tank.
A 10-foot-high board displaying the name of the tank in English and Kannada has caught the resident’s fury. Residents have objected to the proposed plan for remodelling Sankey Tank’s entrance.
Sunitha Nahar, a resident of Sadashivanagar said, “The wall that was being built for the display board to be set up would have easily destroyed the openness and view of the lake.” She added that it has been more than two years now, and there has always been construction at Sankey Tank to rejuvenate the lake. “As a result, the greenery of the lake has been pushed to the sides of the lake, and at present, we see only grey concrete paths rather than its greenery,” said Nahar.
Sankey Tank is a man-made water body situated in the western part of Bengaluru. For quite a few years now, the tank has been losing its greenery due to constant construction for the upliftment of the lake. In June BBMP allotted Rs 3.5 crore for the rejuvenation of Sankey Tank.
New fences are being installed.
Dr A N Yellappa Reddy, an environmentalist said, “Sankey Tank has lost its character. Authorities are spending huge sums without proper planning.” He added that authorities are more concerned about human-centric rather than ecology-centric development. The necessities which are required for a water body to survive should be met first.
Tahir, a daily visitor to the lake said, “Authorities should change the visiting hours for the lake. It is only accessible to the public in the morning (6 am to 10 am) and in the evening (4 pm to 7 pm). It causes a lot of inconvenience to other people who are not regular visitors to the lake.”
He added that a few months back the whole walking path inside the Sankey Tank was dug up, as separate pathways for walking and jogging were being constructed and were inaccessible to the public.
Dr Reddy pointed out that, sewage water should not be allowed into these water bodies, it should be segregated and treated before it is discharged. He also said, “ beautification is not going to improve the water quality of the lake, and the aquatic plants and animals will die if eutrophication takes place. The authorities have been negligent in preserving many lakes. There is no time like the present to protect the city’s lakes.”
A BBMP official said, “We initially had the plan to put up a 10-foot-high board for the lake’s name to be displayed, but due to resident’s objections we have halted that process and we’re currently planning to redesign it. In addition, a 24X7 women’s safety room and a security room are coming up.”
