BENGALURU: There seems to be no respite for residents of Bellandur as froth from the lake continues to create a mess. Following rains over the past two days, froth was seen spilling onto the the roads on Sunday and Monday. Motorists on two-wheelers had a tough time wading through the froth. In fact, a video has been doing the rounds since Monday on social media platforms showing how the wind has been pushing the froth onto the road.
Despite the interference of National Green Tribunal (NGT) after the recent fire outbreak in the lake, there has been no concrete action from authorities. However, BDA officials claim that they are ready with an action plan which will be implemented soon.
Sonali Singh, a resident of Bellandur, said, “The froth has been playing havoc and the obnoxious smell is unbearable. On Tuesday, we could see froth flying around on the road. A frustrated resident captured all of that on his phone and uploaded the video on Twitter and Facebook which then went viral.”
Another resident Vasanth Kumar said “If this is not fixed immediately, this lake will go on to become India’s biggest biohazard.
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is responsible for fixing this situation. But they said they can’t do anything about the situation. A piece of land was kept aside for the STP. A plan of action was initiated by BDA as well but we have no idea as to why they are not doing anything.”
On April 12, the NGT warned the state government that restraining directions will be passed against it if discharge of untreated sewage into the Bellandur lake is not stopped immediately.
The tribunal also rapped Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority for being the sole lake development authority in the world that is allowing fire incidents to take place in the lakes.
It has been over five years since untreated sewage from apartments and industries have been flowing into Bellandur lake, mostly from HAL, Domlur, Koramangala and Agara areas. The authorities then fenced the entire lake and installed about 4-6 machines near the lake to spray a chemical which helps subside the odour and froth.
Sustained inflow of sewage and effluents, pollutants have increased beyond the lake’s assimilative capacity. This has led to nutrient enrichment and profuse growth of macrophytes and algae.