Waste treatment plants around lakes likely

Waste treatment plants around lakes likely

The Hindu

Agencies working on plan to prevent pollution of water bodies

# Plants may be built near the lakes at Madivala, Kempamari, Bellandur, Varthur and Nagavara
# Each plant with a capacity of one million litres a day is estimated to cost about Rs. 5 crores

BANGALORE: The recent fish kills in Puttenahalli Lake on the city's southern outskirts have been pointers for the Government to act fast on a plan evolved by the Lake Development Authority (LDA) and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) for saving water bodies from pollution.

The two agencies have been studying the feasibility of building sewage treatment plants around lakes and tanks for the restoration of the water bodies. They were prompted by the fish kills in Jarganahalli and Ulsoor lakes, which occurred a few months ago.

According to BWSSB officials, a proposal to build treatment plants close to lakes and tanks was forwarded to the Government a few weeks before the incident at Puttenahalli. Government approval is needed before they can go ahead with the plan, and design the most suitable treatment plant for each water body, they said.

"Unless effluent, especially raw sewage, is stopped from entering the lakes, no amount of cleaning up will really help,'' the officials said. A preliminary report prepared by the board speaks of a study about diverting sewage lines away from lakes, and about the probable capacity needs of individual treatment plants. The BWSSB has found over the years that there are no interception channels to prevent drainage overflowing into storm water drains which empty into lakes. The plans now prepared are for interception channels, which will be connected to treatment plants upstream or pump houses downstream.

A pilot project is likely to be taken up at Vengayanakere Lake, once the LDA comes up with the funding plan. The lakes authority is reported to be positive about the board's plans, and is studying the details of the pilot project. With a proper underground drainage system around lakes, connecting to treatment plants, much of the pollution of the water bodies is expected to be minimised. Environmentalists have reacted favourably to the idea of the BWSSB and LDA acting in tandem to save lakes.