BENGALURU: To treat high sewage content and produce maximum potable water, wetland construction has started in Varthur, and is scheduled to be completed by June this year. The process will include methods such as excavation, grading, planting native vegetation and managing water flow to enhance biodiversity conservation, water purification, for habitat restoration and as a means of sustainable water management.
Jagadish Reddy, a member of a citizens’ collective, Varthur Rising, told TNIE that wetland construction will involve placing plants and vegetation strategically at key points to enable the absorption of sewage water by vegetation, and help in facilitating water treatment. The step is essential to prevent untreated water from contaminating lakes and water bodies.
Reddy also said that lake volunteers will soon submit a framework to the government, highlighting factors around water quality and lake management. Speaking about the framework, Reddy said the lakes are categorized into rural, urban and semi-urban types, with each lake and water body possessing distinct biological features like pollutant content, including treated or raw sewage content, and biodiversity factors including flora and fauna species that can be grown.
Plans are under way for overall lake management and experienced lake volunteers from the Federation of Bengaluru Lakes will provide the government with a framework aimed at prioritizing factors essential for maintaining biodiversities such as ecology and forest preservation, Reddy added, and highlighted that the framework intends to underscore basic as well the additional requirements of the lake that the government must address to prevent another water crisis in the city.
We will outline the issues and concerns that require attention from both the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and Central Pollution Control Board, Reddy mentioned.