BENGALURU: Residents around Bellandur Lake have welcomed some aspects of the measures announced for the lake in the budget, but an expert termed them “cosmetic and superficial.”
A sum of Rs 50 crore has been earmarked for all-round rejuvenation of the much-maligned lake. Directions have been issued to take action to provide the lake water for agricultural activities in Bengaluru Rural areas through drip irrigation in partnership with a private firm. In addition, in a bid to control heavy frothing that the lake sees, Rs 10 crore will be used to encourage farmers to grow soapnut, which can be used to prepare non-frothing detergents.
Environmentalist and former IFS officer A N Yellappa Reddy said Rs 50 crore was too little to make any significant difference. Regarding the measure to invest in soapnut, Reddy said, “The soap nuts must be first grown, then the detergent has to be manufactured. That will take years.”
Reddy added that if the lake’s water is used for agricultural activities, the heavy metal pollutants will degrade the land and leave it barren.
Sonali Singh, a citizen activist and a resident near the lake, said the allocation of Rs 50 crore would ensure that the civic agencies cannot cite lack of funds as an excuse. Another resident Nagesh Aras questioned the purpose of the Rs 50 crore. “The Expert Committee Report lists all actions to be taken for the lake. But BDA has not planned to execute those actions. Then how is this amount arrived at? It looks like a ploy to appease the public,” he said.