BENGALURU: Out of the 183 lakes that fall under the jurisdiction of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, 53 have completely dried up due to the intense summer heat.
The water levels in the remaining lakes have also seen a drastic decline, with total storage plummeting to just about 40 percent. According to official sources in the BBMP, as of April 5, the combined water-holding capacity of these lakes should have been 31,505.48 million litres. However, only 10,980.01 million litres are currently stored, amounting to just around 35 percent of the expected capacity.
This depletion has had a significant impact on the city’s groundwater levels, particularly in areas close to the lakes. In the Mahadevapura Zone, 19 out of 50 lakes have dried up. While the total storage capacity of these lakes is 9493.35 million litres, only 2110.43 million litres remain. Similarly, in the Yelahanka Zone, 12 of the 27 lakes are dry. These lakes, which have a total holding capacity of 9214.08 million litres, currently hold just 4276.61 million litres of water.
An engineer from the BBMP expressed concern over the situation in Mahadevapura, highlighting that many residents in this zone depend on borewell water. The engineer noted that only heavy showers during the monsoon will be able to replenish the lakes and improve the situation. In the Bommanahalli Zone, two of the 44 lakes have dried up. Out of a total capacity of 4,882 million litres, only 2725.10 million litres of water is available.
The RR Nagar Zone has also been hit hard, with 12 out of 33 lakes drying up. Although the lakes in this zone can hold 3032.31 million litres, they currently contain only 393.59 million litres. In Dasarahalli Zone, 6 of the 12 lakes have gone dry. While the total capacity here is 1740.31 million litres, the water available if just 140.62 million litres. In the South Zone, there are a total of 7 lakes and the water holding capacity of the lakes is 1339.26 million litres, out of which only 911.56 million litres is available.
In the East Zone, two out of five lakes have dried up, with the remaining lakes storing 2,725.10 million litres out of a possible 4,882 million litres. Meanwhile, in the West Zone, which has only two lakes, 351.07 million litres of water is available out of a total of 453.12 million litres.