After the marsh dies, will sadaramangala lake follow?

Residents worry as a wetland is being filled up with construction debris, corporator says it falls in private property
After the marsh dies, will sadaramangala lake follow?

BENGALURU: Wetlands is a buffer between land and lake. When the land bears down on the lake, for example with untreated sewage, the wetlands absorb pollutants and excess nutrients. When the lake pushes into land, with floods, wetlands contain the fury.

The residents of Kodigehalli are worried that a wetland, near Hoodi Railway station, is being slowly being choked with construction debris. It will soon be turned into land, they fear, and this may lead to further water shortage in an already water-deficient neighbourhood.

The marshy wetland, which lies close to Sadaramangala lake separated only by a railway line, also contains a pond. The pond too is being filled up with debris that also contains plastic and rotting trash. Since both wetlands and ponds act as recharge for lakes, residents worry that the pollutants will ooze into the lake.
Experts agree that it could be a possibility. “When it rains, water gets accumulated in wetlands around the lakes and recharges them,” says Manish Michael, Executive Director of United Way, an organisation that works with corporates to maintain lakes in the city.

“If we fill up marshlands or wet lands, the lakes nearby will also die over time. Destruction of wetlands could also cause lakes to overflow, resulting in floods.”
Hariprasad A C, the BBMP corporator for Hoodi, says that the wetlands near Sadaramangala lake  fall inside a private property. “I haven’t noticed anyone polluting it or any land-filling work in that area,” he says. Though, when City Express visited the spot, the dumping was open for all to see.
The corporator promises to visit the spot and take “appropriate action”.

There is also a rajkaluve (or a storm-water drain) which starts from the nearby BESCOM property, passes through this land and drains into the Hoodi lake. Any pollutants along the stretch could, therefore, reach the lake through this SWD as well. Hariprasad says that Rs 1.5 crore has been sanctioned to rebuild this drain because there have been “encroachments” along its length by individuals though he does not specify which particular stretch. 

“We are doing a survey currently to find out the length and width of the drain,” he says.
There are temporary settlements of migrant labourers around the pond and, residents say, that they dump their waste into the wetland and pond too. “The authorities have not provided adequate drainage and sanitation facilities in these settlements... so who can blame them,” says a resident who did not want to be named. “It’s not just their waste, even our waste water opens into that pond.” There is an open drain that carries waste water from neighbouring areas and ends in the pond.

Lokesh K, who lives in this locality, fears  that if the polluting of the pond and wetland continues it could affect groundwater in this area. “Most of the wetlands in this area are being occupied by real eastate groups to make more constructions,” he says.

The corporator promises to visit the spot and take “appropriate action”.

There is also a rajkaluve (or a storm-water drain) which starts from the nearby BESCOM property, passes through this land and drains into the Hoodi lake. Any pollutants along the stretch could, therefore, reach the lake through this SWD as well. Hariprasad says that Rs 1.5 crore has been sanctioned to rebuild this drain because there have been “encroachments” along its length by individuals though he does not specify which particular stretch. 

“We are doing a survey currently to find out the length and width of the drain,” he says.
There are temporary settlements of migrant labourers around the pond and, residents say, that they dump their waste into the wetland and pond too. “The authorities have not provided adequate drainage and sanitation facilities in these settlements... so who can blame them,” says a resident who did not want to be named. “It’s not just their waste, even our waste water opens into that pond.” There is an open drain that carries waste water from neighbouring areas and ends in the pond.

Lokesh K, who lives in this locality, fears  that if the polluting of the pond and wetland continues it could affect groundwater in this area. “Most of the wetlands in this area are being occupied by real eastate groups to make more constructions,” he says.

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