From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jun 13: Five corporate undertakings, including Wipro and Biocon, have come forward for the conservation and rejuvenation of Bengaluru’s six prominent lakes.

The representatives of the corporate undertakings and the newly formed Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA) have expressed interest to work and fund the rejuvenation of as many as six lakes in the city.

Biocon Ltd. has evinced interest to revive Hebbagodi Lake, while Wipro Ltd. will be rejuvenating Maragondanahalli Lake.

Bommanahalli Lake will be revived by the U.B. Group and Mahadevapura Lake by Mphasis India, while two other lakes – Kittaganahalli Lake and Kelsanayakanahalli Lake – will be rejuvenated by Sensara Engineering, an automotive industry in Bommasandra.

The Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between the corporate companies, KLCDA and the KLCDA, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).

KLCDA’s chief executive officer Ajay Misra said that the authority will now work with the corporate companies and the civic agencies concerned to draw up detailed project reports (DPRs) for works to be taken up in these lakes.

Meanwhile, the corporate companies can only help these lakes through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contribution. 

No commercial activity, entry fee into the lakes or any sort of advertisements would be allowed, he added.

The Additional Chief Secretary of Department of Forests, Environment and Ecology, T.M. Vijay Bhaskar said for larger lakes such as Bellandur Lake, the cost of rejuvenation could not be borne by one firm alone. 

For the large lakes, KLCDA will soon float a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to which multiple firms can contribute. 

Each of these projects will have a project monitoring committee with equal representatives from the corporate companies, KLCDA and the custodian agency, he said.