The Union government has earmarked Rs. 800 crore to clean up Bengaluru’s polluted lakes.
Last year, Bellandur lake saw frothing that rose to nearly six feet and, in some instances, caught fire.
“The city’s lakes were once the model of water conservation…the basic problem is that untreated sewage is flowing unchecked into the lakes,” said Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar at a press conference in New Delhi.
Sewage treatement plantOf the allotted funds, Rs. 500 crore is for laying down a 74-km trunk sewage pipeline, and Rs. 162 crore is to set up four sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Bellandur lake. The remaining is for the Urban Development Ministry for local water conservation activities.
Detergents were touted to be the primary reason for the frothing in the 927-acre Bellandur lake. Phosphates form a major component in household detergents, and they make their way into the lake through the estimated 480 million litres of sewage that flows into Bellandur and Vathur lakes.
Of this, 250 mld (million litres per day) of sewage is untreated, while another 230 mld is let into the lake after treatment. They do not disintegrate, and percolate in the water and make their way downstream with the water used in agriculture.
