The Doddabommasandra lake case has exposed how most lake rejuvenation projects have not planned for the disposal of silt removed from the waterbodies. The detailed project reports do not have any specific plan for silt handling, sources in the BBMP confirmed.
T.V. Ramachandra, senior scientist from Indian Institute of Science who conducted a bathymetric survey of Varthur and Bellandur lakes, had estimated that commercial exploitation of silt in these lakes could fetch enough funds for the rejuvenation of these waterbodies.
In most cases, the silt is often sold to farmers for an unaccounted commercial consideration as it is fertile soil, BBMP officials said. However, in case of big lakes, there are no takers for such large quantities of silt, which has only led to its mishandling or indiscriminate dumping across the city, activists allege.