Mysuru: Are Mysuru’s lakes heading towards the same fate as Bengaluru? The worsening condition of the iconic Bogadi lake, located in the heart of the city, has triggered serious concern among residents and environmental activists. The locals want the civic authorities to save this dying lake.Once a vital source of irrigation and fishing, the 200-year-old lake has now turned into a dumping ground for construction and demolition waste, besides receiving untreated drainage water from nearby residential areas. The lakebed is covered with weeds, and the foul smell has become a major source of discomfort for the entire locality.Locals complain that despite repeatedly raising concerns over illegal dumping and encroachments, no action has been taken by the civic agencies. The lake, situated in the upscale Bogadi Second Stage, was rejuvenated in 2013 with fencing and other conservation measures. Residents allege that official apathy has pushed the waterbody towards slow death.Calling for urgent need to start conservation work, environmental activist UN Ravi Kumar said that the lake was rejuvenated at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore in 2013. “Sadly, today it is witnessing a slow and painful decline,” he remarked. Originally the lake was spread across 35 acres, but now only 26-27 acres remain, with the rest allegedly encroached, say citizens. The continuous flow of sewage into the lake has made the surrounding area unhealthy, they complain.According to N Arun Kumar Gowda, a local leader, the lake was earlier maintained by the Bogadi gram panchayat. After the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) limits were expanded up to the Outer Ring Road, the lake came under MCC’s jurisdiction. “Since then, neither MCC nor MDA has taken any initiative to conserve or develop the lake,” he alleged.“Mysuru Development Authority acquired huge trenches of land here when it was Muda. So, it should come forward to save this lake,” he said.
