Hyacinth threatens Ulsoor Lake again

Water hyacinth threatens Ulsoor lake
Vijay Times News

Bangalore: Despite Rs 18.91 crore already spent for de-silting, water hyacinth is back in Ulsoor lake. A small portion of the lake near the disputed Thiruvalluvar statue site is already covered with a layer of hyacinth. The lake, along with the Yediyur, Sankey and Kempabundhi lakes, was restored by the previous S M Krishna government. Though the size of the hyacinth patch may look insignificant, it needs to be removed immediately as hyacinth grows rapidly.

The lake is being maintained by the Bangalore City Corporation (BCC), which claims it is being cleaned regularly. During the restoration, more than 4.5 lakh cubic metres of silt was excavated from the lake bed. Sewage, which used to flow from all directions into the lake, was diverted and check-dams were constructed on either side of the lake to filter water entering it through storm-water drains.

BCC officials also say they have introduced weed-eating fish in the lake to check the growth of weeds. But residents of the area say the fish are being caught illegally. “Every morning, fellows from the nearby slums wade into the lake and catch the fish. They even have the audacity to sell the fish on the jogging track near the lake,” says George, a resident of the area. Many residents also allege the BCC has never cleaned hyacinth from the lake. “Remember who cleaned the weeds last time? The army not the BCC,” says another resident.