Bengaluru,  Following the Karnataka High Court's directions, the Bengaluru civic body and Bengaluru urban district jointly launched anti-encroachment drive and have successfully recovered land valued over Rs 60.71 crore at various lakes in and around the city.

According to a joint statement released by the Bengaluru Civic Body and Bengaluru Urban district, about 27 acres of land was recovered during the weekend drive.

"The recovered land is valued around Rs 60.71 crore. The urban district administration undertakes such drives every Saturday at lakes, storm water drains (SWD), gomala lands etc," Bengaluru urban deputy commissioner J. Manjunath said in his statement.

Encroachments at the Honakalasapura, Rachamanahalli, Giddanahalli, Hulahalli, Dodda Timmasandra, Kommasandra, Chokkasandra lakes in the Anekal taluk located south Bengaluru were cleared.

At Chikannahalli in Attibele Town, the storm water drain was cleared of encroachments and at Hulimangala in the Electronic City area, government cattle grazing land was recovered.

In a joint operation to carry out the evictions, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) carried out an anti-encroachment drive at the Doddabommasandra lake in the Yelahanka zone.

The BBMP lakes department has also started constructing a barrier wall. "The encroachment was made by a resident, who has been identified as Srinivas. He tore down the fence and installed a Ganesha idol and also built a water tank and building," the civic body said.

In a similar drive carried out last week on August 16, Karnataka had reclaimed 141 acres of land illegally occupied by encroachers around 58 lakes in Bengaluru.

According to a survey report by the Bengaluru Urban district, the city has lost more than 4,500 acres of lake area to encroachments and this is only an understatement.

The preliminary survey of 837 lakes carried out by the Bengaluru urban district administration in July and this number is certain to go up once the survey includes the lake buffer zones.

The survey had stated 223 lakes in the Anekal taluk were encroached upon, followed by 188 in Bengaluru South, 122 in Bengaluru North, 116 in Bengaluru North (Additional) and 95 in Bengaluru East. Besides this, the survey had also found that there were no caretakers in more than 125 lakes of the 837 lakes that were surveyed.