On Thursday, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan announced that the Sankey Tank water body in Bengaluru will be revamped to attract more tourists. The Deputy CM was inspecting the construction of an artificial waterfall at the site. According to All India Radio’s local news Twitter handle for Bengaluru, the project is estimated to be built at a cost of Rs 1.5 crores. Meanwhile, the water will cascade from 12-15 feet on a 100-feet stretch.
The Deputy CM also announced that the waterfall will be built using the latest technology and believes that it will boost the tourism industry in the city.
ಉದ್ಯಾನನಗರಿ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಸ್ಯಾಂಕಿ ಕೆರೆ ಬಳಿ ಕೃತಕ ಜಲಪಾತವನ್ನು ಅತ್ಯಾಧುನಿಕ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನವನ್ನು ಬಳಸಿಕೊಂಡು ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಲಾಗುವುದು. ಒಂದೂವರೆ ಕೋಟಿ ರೂಪಾಯಿ ವೆಚ್ಚದಲ್ಲಿ ೧೨ರಿಂದ ೧೫ ಅಡಿ ಎತ್ತರ; ಸುಮಾರು ೧೦೦ ಅಡಿ ಅಗಲವಿರುವ ಈ ಜಲಪಾತ ನಗರದ ಪ್ರವಾಸೋದ್ಯಮಕ್ಕೆ ನೆರವಾಗಲಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಉಪ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ ಡಾ.ಸಿ.ಎನ್.ಅಶ್ವಥನಾರಾಯಣ ತಿಳಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
— AIR News Bangalore (@airnews_bang) March 12, 2021
However, some people are not happy with the decision made by the authorities fearing the damage to the ecology of the lake.
Madhuri of Friends of Lakes said that it is not advisable to carry out this project. “If the authorities are doing it to create aeration in the lake water, there are many different and innovative ways like placing small devices within the lake to do so. Creation of anything that is not natural for any lake is not a good idea. These are our own biodiversity and the beautification is a bad idea to be carried out near lakes,” she said.
Meanwhile, a senior forest officer told TNM that the construction of a jogger’s park near the Sankey tank has already resulted in encroachment of the water body resulting in the displacement of nearly 4 lakh litres of water which causes flooding in low lying areas. He said that Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s report on Sankey Tank mentions the same.
“They are making a garden near Sankey Tank where they will plant trees which don't support butterflies, smaller mammals. They are destroying the ecosystem of lakes by the construction of the waterfall. According to the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority Act, they cannot construct anything in the lake buffer zone, let alone the lake. If the lawmakers don’t follow the legislation they passed, how is it fair?” asked the officer.