BENGALURU: The highly polluted Byramangala lake in Bidadi will soon get a sewage treatment plant. Minor Irrigation department officials have been asked to prepare a detailed project report to check its feasibility.
On August 23, The New Indian Express started a series ‘Bengaluru Too Bad’ with the report ‘Bengaluru feeds its poison to Bidadi lake, gets back its taste’ highlighting the pathetic state of the frothing Byramangala lake in Bidadi of Ramanagara district. The report highlighted that Bengaluru was dumping its ‘’poisonous chemicals’’ into the lake via Vrushabhavati river, and this was causing severe skin and health problems to farmers using the water to breed fish, and grow fruits and vegetables in their fields. So the toxins come back to Bengaluru and get consumed by its citizens.
Byramangala lake is located 40 Km from Bengaluru. Unlike the Bellandur, it did not grab eyeballs, so officials concerned did not purify water routed into it with an STP.
A senior official from the Minor Irrigation department on conditions of anonymity said that Byramangala lake was indeed neglected. “There is no proper mechanism to monitor chemicals mixing in its water. Now, with the media highlighting the plight, an STP will be installed,’’ he said.
Water let into it will be filtered in four stages. This is expected to improve the quality of water and reduce froth. The same water reaches at least 28 villages including Chowkahalli, Kolleganahalli, Gharepalya, Ramanahalli, Billedoddi and others in Byramangala where toxic pollutants are entering agricultural fields in which farmers grow sugarcane and paddy.
Confirming this, Captain Rajendra, Ramanagara DC, said that they have directed officials to prepare the DPR to set up an STP for tertiary treatment, which removes inorganic compounds and substances such as nitrogen and phosphorus. “After the initial stage, the department concerned will take it forward,” he said.
The Byramanagala lake, which was once the lifeline of villages surrounding it, is today polluted due to rapid urbanisation of Bengaluru. With the STP proposal, comes hope that the lake could regain its lost glory.