Two ‘islands’ on an empty lakebed, cattle grazing patches of grass spread across the lake, which is surrounded by a drain carrying untreated sewage into the waterbody, and isolated walking paths and broken streetlights. This is the scene at Doddanekundi lake, which was “rejuvenated” recently.
Various government agencies such as the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have spent crores of rupees on the beautification and rejuvenation of various lakes across the city. However, owing to lack of planning and standard procedure and confusion over ownership and maintenance responsibilities, rejuvenated lakes are either getting encroached or polluted again.
Inflow of sewage directly or through storm-water drains (SWD) continues in many of the rejuvenated lakes, and most of them do not have sewage treatment plants (STP). In addition, rejuvenated lakes continue to remain dry because of poor monsoon.
“We have diverted sewage as much as possible. But residents in the catchment areas dump garbage and let sewage into the SWD. When it rains, garbage and sewage flood and settle on the lakebed,” a BBMP official said, adding that there is dearth of funds to install STPs in all lakes.
Sources said lake restoration projects do not get prioritised financially and when they do get funds, they are diverted to other projects. For example, the BDA spent around ₹10 crore on rejuvenation and beautification of Doddanekundi lake. It then handed over the lake to the BBMP in February. Although it has been five months, there is no change on the ground.
‘Cosmetic changes’
Under the rejuvenation project of the lake, works such as dredging, building of bunds, fencing, construction of waking path, and installation of streetlights were carried out. But P. Pramod of Nekkundi Tank Rejuvenation Association complained that crucial works such as treating sewage before letting it into the lake, or diverting it away from the lake, or preventing it from entering the SWD were never given a thought.
“Until and unless these issues are taken up on priority basis, nothing will improve or change and we will forever be awaiting water,” he said.
But a BBMP official said Doddanekundi lake was handed over to them after the BBMP budget in February, and the model code of conduct kicked in soon. “We will soon consult experts and get a technical report on what can be done. I’m sure the situation will improve once it rains,” he said.
N.R. Suresh, director of Namma Bengaluru Foundation, which has been involved in the fight for several lakes in the city, said transfer of lakes between BDA, BBMP, and other government agencies was to evade responsibility and accountability. He pointed out that lakes rank low in priority for the government too. “Recently, the government sanctioned ₹565 crore for white-topping of roads in the city, whereas it allocated only ₹50 crore for drainage works and establishment of a sewerage plant at Hesaraghatta lake,” he pointed out.
The cosmetic makeover of various lakes in the city, such as the Doddanekundi lake, Doddabommasandra lake, and Kaggadasapura lake, has drawn the ire of citizens and citizen groups.
V. Ramaprasad, co-founder and convener of Friends of Lake, said the government is only concerned about beautification of lakes, not rejuvenation and monitoring sewage inlets. “A lake means good quality and quantity of water, flora and fauna, which is hardly taken into consideration in any of the detailed project reports of lake rejuvenation.” he said.
