Hassan: While the Government is making attempts to rejuvenate dried up tanks in various parts of the States under Jalasamvardhana scheme, many tanks are dying in Hassan district, because of apathy of both people and the district administration.

According to sources in the Department of Statistics, of the 1,300 tanks in Hassan district, many are dying because of encroachments, broken weirs, damaged tank bunds and sewage entering them.

Groundwater recharge

Environmentalists feel that people have failed to understand the importance of conserving tanks, which play a crucial role in recharging groundwater.

One among such tanks is Doddakere tank of Arkalgud town. The tank, which provided adequate water to meet the needs of the people, can no longer do so. Of the total lake area of 30 acres, the administration has started constructing a bund to take up development works on 10 acres. Local environmentalists are not aware of the development plans of the administration for the remaining 20 acres.

Some people even approached the court to get a stay order on bund construction. However, for lack of sufficient documents, the court turned down their plea.

Revival plan

Defending the "development" of the tank, Arkalgud MLA A.T. Ramaswamy recently said that Doddakere would be rejuvenated at a cost of Rs. 3.1 crore.

Participating in a programme organised in the town, he said that a part of the tank, which was polluting the area, would be filled and the space utilised for constructing a stadium and developing a park. Water would be filled in the rest of the area. He also alleged that a few people tried to tarnish his image by raising the issue and tried to get a stay order on the work.

Conservation work

"I am committed to both conserving the tank and developing the area," he said. The work on conservation of the tank at a cost of Rs. 1.2 crore was progressing and the remaining Rs. 1.9 crore would be released soon. The work would be completed by the end of the year, he added. Nevertheless, people, who are against development work on the tank bed, are worried about the depletion in groundwater level.

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