Activists fear Bengaluru’s lakes are not monsoon ready

As Karnataka expects rains by the first week of June, many fear that the lakes of the garden city are not monsoon-ready. Authorities, however, vouch that cleaning and maintenance activities are being carried out and extra labour has been deployed.

“This is a problem every year despite flagging it repeatedly,” says Raghavendra Pachhapur, programme officer at Action Aid India. 

Several lakes face the issue of raw sewage or untreated water flowing in. In many places, inlets, outlets, storm water drains, and diversion channels remain clogged with solid waste and silt. Mr. Pachhapur notes that this poses a risk for the aquatic life and biodiversity around the lakes.  

Experts also point out that many of the existing STPs are non-functional or do not monitor the water quality adequately. This results in non-treated water flowing down to the lakes. There also persists a sense among many that several problems occur due to lack of coordination between the different agencies responsible for the protection and maintenance of lakes. 

“For example, the stormwater department may not be worried about the lake water quality since it doesn’t come under their purview. Within the lake department too there is a lackadaisical attitude that they can’t do much to prevent the things that come in through the inlets,” Mr. Pachhapur says. 

In 2022, Bengaluru witnessed one of the worst floods in its history. With rapid urbanisation and rampant encroachment of lakes and rajakaluves, the city is no longer flood proof. Often, low-income groups who live in slums near storm water drains become the victims. In this context, the unclogging of storm water drains becomes all the more important, point out activists. 

What BBMP says

Preeti Gehlot, BBMP special commissioner (Lakes), says regular maintenance activities are carried out throughout the year.  “Our maintenance agencies have been directed to clean the inlets and outlets so that there is proper flow of water. During the monsoon, we deploy extra labour to clear the obstructions.” 

Around ₹35 crore is annually allocated for the maintenance of lakes. She notes that lately sluice gates have also been installed at a few lakes which would help in controlling the flow of water downstream.

Ms. Gehlot who attests to continuous co-ordination between various departments involved, says the department has already issued common instructions and would adopt a case-by-case approach when complaints come in.

Joint plan

Vishwanath S., water conservationist and director of Biome Trust, believes there is scope to improve the state of lakes in the long term if a joint plan is drawn up for every watershed by BBMP, BWSSB, pollution control board and other departments involved, to address solid waste, liquid waste, industrial effluents and rainwater. 

“The problem is a budgetary approach where each department has to work with funds available to solve specific problems,” he says.

Madhuri Subbarao, cofounder of Friends of Lakes, recommends adopting nature-based solutions instead of increased concretisation of lakes. “A lake is a simple solution and there is no need to complicate it. For strengthening bunds, for example, planting a tree on it can be tried out instead of concreting it,” she says.

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