Continuing their campaign for saving the Unkal Lake, students and residents of Unkal and representatives of organisations gathered at the lake park here on Friday and sought steps to save the lake.
Despite a few diversion projects, the sewage from residential localities in the surrounding area enters the lake daily and is resulting in pollution and water weeds are engulfing it.
Elders, teachers and a few government officials took part in an open house discussion on saving the lake organised by the Unkal Kere Hitarakshana Samiti. HDMC councillor Rajanna Koravi, who is leading the campaign, said although the government had promised steps to save the lake, there was need for immediate action.
Mayor Ashwini Majjagi, Deputy Mayor Smita Jadhav and Municipal Commissioner C.M. Noor Mansoor promised the gathering that steps were being taken and they would pursue the matter. They also referred to the recent visit of Minister for Urban Development Vinay Kumar Sorake who had promised to release funds for sewage diversion projects.
Sewage enters the lake from four sides. The sewage from Navanagar has been diverted. While tenders for the projects on sewage diversion from Amaragol and Gamanagatti worth Rs. 6.7 crore have been floated, the Rs. 11.5-crore project for diverting sewage from Sutagatti is yet to get sanction from the government.
Mr. Koravi said that while Mr. Sorake had promised sanctioning of the project and convening a meeting in Bengaluru within a week, the samiti had launched a post card campaign to highlight the issue.
“We are distributing over 20,000 post cards among the school children and citizens. The post cards will be sent to the Governor, Chief Minister and the Urban Development Minister seeking funds. We also appeal to the citizens to also participate in the campaign,” he said.
Elders such as Moorusavirappa Koravi, president of Dharwad Zilla Kannada Sahitya Parishat; L.R. Angadi, taluk unit president; K.S. Koujalagi, environmentalist; V.B. Nitali, physician; and Mallikarjun Hosakeri, councillor were present.
