Move to hand over Mannapalla Lake to private agency opposed
Udupi City Municipal Council
(CMC) and Udupi MLA
Yashpal Suvarna
opposed the proposal to hand over the maintenance of
Mannapalla Lake
in Manipal to a private agency. Council members recently suggested that the tourist destination should be maintained directly by the CMC, instead of handing it over to a private agency.
MLA Suvarna told TOI that he opposed the idea of handing over the lake to private individuals. "There are plans to maintain Mannapalla Lake with the participation of a private entity through the CSR funds. We have no clarity on the plans as to whether it will be just for maintenance or further development of the lake. We opposed the move and told the civic body that at any cost it should not be done. We demanded that the CMC only should take up the responsibility of maintaining the lake. Further, we demanded that the CMC should prepare an action plan to develop the lake as a tourist destination," he said, adding that currently, the lake is managed by the
Mannapalla Development Committee
.
"Besides suggesting a draft master plan for the development of Mannapalla Lake, I also insisted the urban local body seek funds from central govt. However, the responsibility for the maintenance of Mannapalla should be entrusted to the CMC only," he added.
During a council meeting held recently, CMC members also raised objections to the move of handing over the maintenance of the lake to private individuals. Ishwara Nagara Ward councillor Kalpana Sudhama emphasised that the Mannapalla Lake's management should be transferred to the CMC. She advocated for the development of conservation strategies and future development plans for the lake, which is spread across 120 acres. She also stressed on the importance of preventing private entities from gaining control, as they would prioritise commercial interests over preservation.
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