Varthur lake dying

Varthur lake dying
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: One may admire the beauty and pristine surroundings of the Varthur lake from a distance. It will compel one to envy the adjoining local residents enjoying the serene and aesthetic appeal of the lake. But how far it holds true is the question.

The lake near Whitefield, situated in the South taluk of Bangalore district.

Constructed during the Ganga Empire over 1,000 years ago, is constantly contaminated by residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial wastes. Silt and sediment-laden water enters the lake from the Bellandur canal, Challaghatta.

The local municipal corporation dump garbage in the lake, it also receives all the surface runoff, waste water and sewage from the Bangalore South taluk. The place stinks and is subjected to faecal contamination.

The Chief Executive Officer of Lake Development Authority (LDA) B K Singh told this paper: "the City Municipal Council has failed to stop dumping garbage and other construction wastes in the lake. They have been ineffective to check it."

LDA has written to City Municipal Council and Pollution Control Board to take steps to check contamination of lake.

Even Pollution Control Board officials said that sewage water enters into the lake. ‘‘Though there is sewage treatment plant of adequate capacity on the banks of Bellandur lake, all the sewage water do not enter the plant but flows directly to the Varthur lake,’’ an official said.

Contamination of water has led to several problems in the area like increase in mosquito menace and many have even suffered from malaria and dermatitis, said students of the K K English High School, Gunjur, and residents who monitor the lake water quality.

Principal of the school M A Khan said the lake is eutrophic with high concentration of phosphorous and organic matter. The Dissolved oxygen (DO) level is extremely low, so there is no aquatic life.

"In our school days, our favourite pastime was fishing in this lake. It’s sad, there is only one type of fish that lives in the slush. We will use Right to Information Act (RTI) to know why authorities are not doing much to save the lake," he said.

Residents fear that this year too the place will be flooded. "The developers have encroached into the canal and put four metre diameter pipes. This will definitely obstruct flow of water," said a resident.

The Centre for Ecological Science, Energy Research Group of Indian Institute of Science (IISc), had done a study on the lake. The study revealed the possible impact of water contamination on crops.

It also observed that the pollution loading has exceeded the lake’s ability to assimilate contaminants, leading to visible degradation of the quality of water in the lake.

Meanwhile, Ecology and Environment Department plans to take up work to improve the lake. "It will be done shortly under Government of India’s National Lake Conservation Programme," said Secretary Ecology and Environment Mohammad Sanaulla.