Bangalore Development Authority banks on microbes to stop Bellandur lake frothing

BENGALURU: Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has enlisted the assistance of a Mumbai-based expert to arrest the foam in Bellandur lake, which has earned international notoreity. On Saturday, BDA officials visited the lake with the Swacch Bharat Mission-empanelled expert in waste water management to try out a new technique to treat the lake.

Ragini Jain, who runs the firm ‘Gitanjali Envirotech’, insists the 900-acre lake can be restored. “There is no need for any hi-tech procedure. All we need is an organic culture with microbes which does not cost much. In a week’s time, this will ensure there will not be any nasty smell or foaming from the lake,” she told Express.

Ragini and another expert from her team emptied 200 litres of the culture into the lake. She claimed that the foam had reduced from a height of 10 feet to 3 feet by late evening. BDA Commissioner Rakesh Singh conceded that the foam level had come down, without giving any specifics about it.  “We have asked her to work on it again on Sunday,” he said.

“The BDA was keen to reduce the inconvenience to the public on account of the foaming, so we are trying this out. We have been assured that it is very economical too,” Singh said.

How it works

Outling the procedure, Ragini said that when released into the lake, the microbes digest the ammonia and methane which cause the foaming. “Each microbe is capable of multiplying into six crore microbes when it comes into contact with the sewage inside. They will reduce the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BoD), Carbon Oxygen Demand (CoD) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and increase the oxygen level. The foam will not generate anymore,” she says. The three are water measurement parameters.

Asked about the time frame for cleaning up the lake if this procedure works, she said, “We can equate what has happened to this lake with cancer. There is no quick fix treatment. Like regular chemotherapy sessions, there have to be regular doses of this organic culture fed to the lake.” Cleaning the lake fully could take a few months.