BENGALURU: The National Highway 75 (NH) cutting through the Yele Mallappa Shetty Lake has become a convenient option to dump construction debris on the waterbody’s buffer zone. About 800 meters of the area is filled with waste and debris, despite a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order to keep the lake and buffer zone protected.
The morning walkers, motorists and residents in the surrounding areas have held the officials of minor irrigation department, the custodian of the lake, the Bengaluru solid waste management department and other officials concerned responsible for the poor condition of the 500 acres lake.
“The villagers had objected to high-rise fencing and demanded a pathway. This has led to night-time dumping. We had written letters, and many volunteers stood guard in the early morning hours to catch the miscreants, but they have started dumping in the midnight hours,” said Balaji Ragotham, a volunteer involved in the plantation drive at lakes.
Apart from debris, a discarded refrigerator, a broken cot, bed, tons of old clothes, and coconut shells have been dumped all the way from Medahalli service road up to the Avalahalli side of the Lake Buffer Zone. “There is a garbage burning issue in the lake buffer, but no one addresses it,” said Ragotham.
Minor Irrigation Assistant Engineer Vinay Kumar also agreed on the fact that there is nighttime dumping in the buffer zone and would solve the issue at the earliest.
“About 80 percent of fencing work at the buffer on the right side of Highway is complete. Once the National Census-27, Listing of Houses and Households ends, the remaining work will be taken up. We will also build a height barrier to prevent vehicles from coming and dumping construction debris,” said Kumar.
The official also stated that they too had conducted patrolling during day time to prevent debris and garbage dump on the buffer zone, but the miscreants usually come late at night, dump debris, garbage and scoot.
“Once we are done with the installation of the fence and height barrier, CCTVs will be installed, and once the vehicle dumping is caught, FIR will be registered, and vehicles will be seized,” the official added.