BENGALURU: Pollution in Vrishabhavati river is no longer news. But what has got the goat of residents living along its banks is a thick, yellow liquid floating in one of its streams for the last one month. A pungent, nauseating stench emerging out of it makes residents feel ill.The 1,018-acre Valley is highly contaminated as large quantities of untreated sewage is let into in it. Effluents from industries at Peenya, Yeshwanthpur and Rajajinagar continue to be discharged into it.
Though a number of layouts near the valley are affected by the pollution, the yellow stream runs right in front of Krishna Garden Layout, where at least 250 families reside. S K G Vijayalakshmi, a resident, said, “We recently took a sample of this water, and sent it to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and the National Green Tribunal. A KSPCB representative visited the spot and later sent us a message saying it was not polluted.”
With a lack of support from all sides, the residents started a campaign on Change.org on Thursday. “I am getting a good response. I hope this spurs some action,” she said. The liquid passing through used to be soapy and brown earlier, but the colour has changed to yellow now, she said. A member of Namami Vrishabhavathi Foundation, a trust formed nearly six months ago, said that they have received complaints from residents.
A senior Pollution Control Board official said that a committee was constituted earlier this week. “It comprises industry representatives, pollution board officials, experts and NGOs. They will monitor and arrive at a solution. The specific discharge could be from some industry,” he added.