Rejuvenation Urged for Yele Mallappa Shetty Lake, Medahalli
1. Background of the Lake
- Location: Medahalli, East Bengaluru
- Historical Importance:
- Once a vital drinking water source
- Built during the 1850s by Yele Mallappa Shetty (dam on Pinakini river during drought)
- Now heavily polluted and encroached
3. Citizen Voices & Local Observations
- Lingaraj Yele (Hydrogeologist, great-grandson of Yele Mallappa Shetty):
- Blames rapid urban development for pollution and hydrological imbalance
- Subhajit Ghosh (Activist):
- Warns the condition has worsened for over a decade
- Only ¼th of the fencing around the lake is completed
- Calls for urgent fencing along NH-75, CCTV surveillance, and deployment of marshals
- Jagan Kumar (Filed NGT case in 2021):
- Despite NGT order for removing encroachments and rejuvenation under the 110-village programme, no action taken
4. Government Response
- Minor Irrigation Department (Secretary Raghavan):
- Development works ongoing near the lake
STPs (Sewage Treatment Plants) installed under ‘Jal hi AMRIT’ scheme
Multi-Skill Development Centre – Kalaburagi
🔹 Key Highlights:
- Trains 2,500 students/year, target of 37,500 in 5 years
- Supports employment generation & youth empowerment
- Focus on practical, industry-relevant skills
🔹 Training Fields:
- Electrical & Electronics
- Automation & Robotics
- Hospitality & Services
🔹 Unique Features:
- Foreign language labs (German, Japanese)
- World Skill Competition training
- Special focus on youth & women empowerment
- Promotes regional growth & industrial development
🔹 Benefits:
- Jobs for youth & women
- Skill-based education in underdeveloped regions
- Global career opportunities
Industrial investment in Kalaburagi
Karnataka Ranked No.1 in the Country
Context:
Karnataka has secured the top position in the country for policing, as per a recent nationwide survey conducted in 4 metropolitan cities including Bengaluru.
Key Findings:
- Bengaluru has topped the national list in the category of urban policing experience.
- The ranking is based on citizen satisfaction surveys carried out in 10 cities.
- Karnataka scored 6.78, ranking it number one in policing quality across Indian states.
Overall Ranking:
- Karnataka – 6.78
- Other states – 3.63 (average)
- Survey conducted across 7 states, Karnataka leads with the highest citizen satisfaction in policing.
Key Highlights:
- The survey assessed parameters such as:
- Police responsiveness
- Timely investigation
- 155 police stations across 10 major urban centers were included.
Karnataka had the highest number of positively reviewed police stations – 81 out of the total.
