BENGALURU: In less than four months, at least four incidents of fish deaths in lakes have been reported. Activists attribute the deaths to dissolved oxygen depletion and blame BWSSB’s inaction in preventing raw sewage entry into the water bodies.
According to lake conservationist and Senior Lead - Projects at Action Aid, Raghavendra B Pachhapur, in February, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) had categorised the Seetharam Palya Lake in Hoodi as E category. Had the authorities taken timely action, the latest incident could have been prevented. “E category’ means the water is fit for industrial cooling only and cannot be used for wildlife and fisheries as per the Central Pollution Control board.
If the BWSSB authorities or BBMP had prevented raw sewage from entering the lake inlets, the mass deaths of small fish could have been prevented. Interestingly, this is the fourth incident of fish kill in 100 days, across different water bodies in Bengaluru,” said Pachhapur.
Echoing Pachhapur, civic activist Sandeep Anirudhan said raw sewage enters a water body through stormwater drains, which are supposed to carry only rainwater. “The BWSSB thinks its job is to supply water and put in sanitary lines, whereas the water authority must preserve the water body while preventing the entry of sewage and pollutants into the same,” Anirudhan added.
The activist also raised a complaint with KSPCB authorities and the Environment Officer of Mahadevpura zone, Mahendra, who sent his team for inspection. “We checked a few spots and collected water samples. Based on the findings, if there is the presence of sewage, a notice will be sent to the BWSSB, seeking an explanation,” said a senior officer from the KSPCB inspection team.
The BWSSB’s Waste Water Division Chief Engineer V Gangadhar said the area does not come under him and shifted the responsibility to senior officials in charge of the water and sewage connection at 110 villages merged into BBMP. BBMP lake division said the lake was under the BDA and it was handed to the Palike in 2021.