BENGALURU: Several proposals have been made in the past to ensure that Bellandur Lake, one of the largest water bodies in the city, is conserved. However, the continuous flow of both domestic and industrial sewage has resulted in toxic accumulation in the lake, affecting local flora and fauna.
While there are reports about a new proposal to revive the dying lake, environmentalists say that only a concerted effort would help in the process.
Environmentalist A N Yellappa Reddy told Express that nothing had been done by the civic authorities to conserve it. “Sewage from at least one-third of Bengaluru enters Bellandur Lake, which is about 300-400 MLD. Since there is no underground drainage facility that would divert the sewage to treatment plants, all of it from the region is released into the lake,” he said.
Over the past three to four decades, the quantity of organic and faecal matter that has accumulated in the lake bed is about 15-20 feet. This has resulted in ‘septicity’, killing several varieties of fish and plants, he said.
Complaining that authorities have turned a blind eye to the condition of the lake, he suggested measures to save the lake. “Sewage water treatment plants that could treat the amount of water entering into the lake are necessary. In order to regulate apartments and industries from releasing raw sewage, authorities should ensure tertiary treatment of industrial waste and a sewage treatment plant at all apartment complexes that have more than 60 houses,” he said.
Chairman of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) Ramachandra said that the Board has issued directions to the authorities concerned several times to prevent direct disposal of sewage.
However, the authorities did not take necessary action. Therefore, cases have been booked against civic agencies for violating environmental norms,” Ramachandra added.