BENGALURU: Highly polluted water containing heavy metals and carcinogenic substances like Mercury, Lithium, and Pyrene is flowing into the Manchanabele Dam, posing a severe health risk to nearly 40 villages in Magadi Taluk.
Water activist Nirmala Gowda, associated with Paani.Earth, an organisation focused on sustainable river management, highlighted alarming findings from a study on the sedimentation areas of Thippagondanahalli Reservoir (TGR) and Manchanabele Dam, both part of Arkavathi River. “Heavy metals were found in the water, which can cause kidney ailments, cancer and liver infections,” she said.
While the Manchanabele Dam receives fresh water from the Chik Tore stream, highly contaminated water is flowing in from the upstream areas of TGR, located just 10 km away. “Industrial effluent from Peenya and nearby areas, large quantities of untreated sewage, solid waste dumping, and open burning near water sources are major causes of contamination,” Gowda explained. “In March 2024, our study found that 168 million litres of contaminated water was entering the dam daily,” he added.
Magadi MLA HC Balakrishna acknowledged the water crisis affecting the taluk’s 2.75 lakh population. He urged the state government to implement the ‘Express Canal’ project and lift irrigation from the Hemavathi River to address the issue. “Currently, water is being supplied from Sattegala, Manchanabele Dam and YG Gudda. But if this pollution continues, Manchanabele’s water may soon become non-potable due to Bengaluru’s wastewater being diverted into it,” he warned.
Environmentalist Yellappa Reddy recalled that in 1985, 5,000 acres in Savandurga Reserve Forest and the Manchanabele catchment area were designated as Medicinal Plants Conservation Area. However, he emphasised that all water sources in the region are now contaminated.