Lakes have dwindled, don’t let them vanish

Lakes have dwindled, don’t let them vanish
Monday May 14 2007 11:37 IST

A view of the restored Sankey Tank

BANGALORE: A recent study by an expert in the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has warned that Bangalore will soon become a ‘Dead City’ if water bodies are not preserved and nurtured.

The number of lakes and tanks in Bangalore have gradually dwindled and many have been turned into bus stands, playgrounds and residential layouts. Dharmambudhi Kere, for instance, has turned into Kempe Gowda Bus Stand while Jakkarayana Kere has become a maidan.

Bangalore currently has only 34 live lakes, and they have on them the huge burden of managing the eco-system of the entire City with seven million population. Today, the lakes are not even a quarter of what they were just a decade ago.

Former Bangalore administrator Late N Lakshman Rau (the boulevard originating from Southend Circle is named after him), in his report in 1985, recorded existence of 81 live tanks in conurbation alone.

The IISc study points out that rapid real estate development has gobbled up the lake beds.

According to Dr T V Ramachandra, faculty member (researcher), Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc, if the same situation continues, then Bangalore will soon become a ‘Dead City’.

‘‘All lakes (except Bannerghatta Lake) including Sankey Tank, Yediyur and Madiwala are sewerage- fed,’’ he said.

The status of wetlands in Bangalore is a direct measure of the status of the management of anthropological activities, land management, solid waste management, disposal of used water and people’s attitude in general. Further, there is lack of governmental commitment, necessary expertise and cohesive academic research.

Dr Ramachandra warns that if development continues at the same frenetic pace in future too, then after 10 years, only 12 lakes will remain.’’

Out of the 34 existing lakes, two are under private hands and 22 in the process of being leased. Biodiversity expert Harish Bhatt says that leasing is not the solution, it leads to modified encroachment as in the case of Lumbini Gardens.

‘‘Healthy lakes have phytoplankton, zooplankton, micro organisms, marsh plants, treelines, weeds, fishes and dependent birds. But the present lakes have inlet of hazardous chemicals like nitrites, chromium and lead, apart from plastic and sewerage wastes,’’ he says.

‘‘People, in the longer run, get affected with cancer and deformities, as these live tanks are associated with humans,’’ he added.