Less than a month to follow NGT orders and only two earth movers to clean 900-acre Bellandur Lake
BENGALURU: Authorities have less than a month to clean up the Bellandur Lake, going by the National Green Tribunal's (NGT’s) directive. But a week of planning later, only two earth movers have been deployed to remove the accumulated debris and weed on the lakebed.
When the New Indian Express visited the spot on Tuesday, both earth movers had run out fuel shortly after starting work. Residents in the area have called the work an eyewash, pointing out that operating just two earth movers to de-weed an almost 900-acre lake was as good as doing nothing at all.
On Tuesday, the second day of actual operations, no major activity was seen, barring a few inspections by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) and other officials.
Sonali Singh, a resident of Bellandur said, “There was no activity by the JCB machines on Tuesday though there was some movement on Monday. We saw them parked on the roadside almost every time we went to check. Maybe they have kept it there for the media and as an eyewash to the NGT order. We saw some meshwork being done in the afternoon.”
Another resident, Monil JR said, "We do not see any work going on. At this pace, I do not think they will even complete the work in two years."
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BDA sources said a tender will be awarded on Wednesday to dispose of weeds but there is no clarity on what happens to the contaminated mud or debris covering the lake bed.
"For now, we plan to pile it up on the bank. There is a lack of convergence among civic authorities too as we are not sure whether the Bengaluru water supply and sewage board (BWSSB) has stopped the entry of untreated sewage water into the lake," the sources added.
BWSSB has invited expression of interest from private firms on Tuesday to treat waste water through the bio-mediation process.
An official of the company involved in de-weeding said, “As per the plan we will have to make a path to the floating weed harvester machine. This machine, like an underwater lawn mower, can sail on the lake and uproot weeds from the ground inside the lake. Once weeds are removed, the lake aeration equipment will be installed. With oxygen dissolved in water, it gets purified. The water in this lake, even after treatment, can be used only for irrigation and gardening. But de-silting is a long and continuous process and will have to be done every two years."
However, the official said that this may take 4-6 months, provided there is no rain. "One heavy rain can ruin efforts as the lake will again see an inflow of effluents.
Rafiq, the driver of the earthmover, said, “In my 12 years of experience I have never seen a lake with in such a pathetic condition. We need at least 10 earth movers to work all day to clear the mud."
He said he was continuously bitten by mosquitoes and has to cover the driver's cabin. Nagaraj, an engineer officer of BDA, also admitted that desilting was a long process and may happen only in 2018.
BDA chief engineer P N Nayak told the New Indian Express, "On Wednesday, one more JCB machine will be added. As of now, we are looking at cleaning the weeds alone. Removal of silt is a long term process. It is a big challenge considering the rain, but we are ready to face it.”