Residents fume over filth-filled lake

Residents fume over filth-filled lake
Jayashree Nandi | TNN

Bangalore: Once a serene home to migratory birds, Doddanakundi lake, near Marathahalli, is today a picture of neglect. Uncleared weeds and domestic waste fill its waters and there is a permanent stench in the air.
Residents of nearby Basavanagar and Lakeview Road complain that besides domestic waste, many types of toxic industrial waste is also thrown into the lake. They are now looking at ways to revive the long-lost charm.
“I chose to live here two and a half years ago because of the beautiful lake in front of my house. Today, I realize the mistake I made. The locality stinks because of the dirty water. To make matters worse, residents of other localities dump their waste here. There are also people who come in vans to dump what looks like industrial waste,’’ said Biswajit Brahma, a software professional.
A resident of Doddanakundi village has witnessed the slow degradation over the past 30 years. According to him, the
weeds were earlier regularly cleared and no one threw garbage into the lake. “This was a green village. With increase in population, the lake has now become a dumping ground. There are also reports that people lease out the tank area for commercial purposes like fishing,’’ he added.
Authorities turn a blind eye
When it comes to rejuvenation of the lake, authorities play the familiar passing-thebuck game. The forest department maintains that the tank is under BBMP administration. But BBMP chief engineer (lakes) B V Satish points out that only 17 lakes fall under the palike’s purview and Doddanakundi is not one of them. The Lake Development Authority (LDA) also dissociates itself.
HC ordered for barricades to protect lake
The high court had recently, while hearing a PIL filed by advocate Puttige R Ramesh, directed authorities to barricade all lakes in the city and plant trees around them. “More than half the tanks have disappeared. These water bodies help maintain groundwater level and the climate. With the threat of privatization and lack of preservation, we fear there will soon be none left,’’ Ramesh said.
He added that while hearing his petition, the judge promised the secretary of state legal services department will monitor the work of those responsible for development of lakes. “I hope the LDA’s perennial complaint of paucity of funds is addressed,’’ he added.
Depleting BEAUTY
From more than 200 lakes that added to Bangalore’s beauty, the number has come down to 81. Doddanakundi may very well be the next to disappear. While old-timers fondly remember the good old days when the lake sported a clean look, the present generation is a cynical lot. With a good portion of the water body being infested by uncleared weeds and garbage, the lake is a picture of neglect, they complain.