Development of lake leaves villagers divided in Belagavi

BELAGAVI: For the past two days, Kanbargi village in Belagavi taluk is gearing up to witness a clash between two powerful groups, fighting for control over a lake. While one group, led by Belagavi North MLA Anil Benke, wants to develop the lake into a tourist destination, the other, led by former Mayor Shivaji Sunthakar, wants the lake to remain untouched.

At Kanbargi, the main lake is located in the village and it is used by cattle owners. Another smaller lake, adjacent to the main lake, has dried up.Benke recently announced that he wanted to develop the main lake into a tourist spot and suggested that the cattle owners start using the second lake. This did not go down well with Sunthakar and his supporters. Interestingly, both politicians belong to the BJP.

On Monday, several cattle owners, along with Sunthakar, waded into the main lake and shouted slogans against it being turned into a tourist destination. Just a day after, supporters of Benke held a pooja on the dried up lake bed, where Benke said that the development of the main lake as a tourist spot would proceed at any cost. However, the formula suggested by Benke will not work, according to local cattle owners who say that the main lake was their only source of water for their cattle currently.  However, the formula suggested by Benke will not work, according to local cattle owners.

“The dry lake has black soil in which cattle get stuck. Also, the lake has water only till December. Cattle will not be permitted into the main lake if it becomes a tourist spot,” said Kisan Sunthakar, one of the protestors.

However, formula suggested by Benke will not work, according to local cattle owners who say that the main lake was their only source of drinking and bathing water for their cattle currently.

“The dead lake that the MLA has promised to rejuvenate has black soil in which cattle get stuck, also, the lake has water only till December, after that it is dry till monsoon. Our cattle will not be permitted into the main lake if it becomes a tourist spot,” said Kisan Sunthakar, one of the protestors. The cattle owners have also accused Benke of threatening to put them behind bars if they tried to create hurdles in the development of the lake.