Three years after Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) took up rejuvenation of Arekere lake, it continues to be counted among one of the most polluted water bodies in Bengaluru. As of now, the lake has almost dried up.
Apart from a fence and a board cautioning against dumping of garbage, the BDA has failed to keep its promise to revive the lake. Today, it is contaminated by sewage while large tracts of land in the surroundings have been encroached.
“Sewage has seeped into the lake and the land has been encroached by builders who refuse to vacate. A supermarket has been a fixture on the lake bed for over 15 years," says Veena Hegde, the founder of Arekere Neighbourhood Improvement Trust, which was formed by residents in 2013 to restore the lake to its former glory.
"Initially, the response from the authorities was good. There was feeble progress, but progress none the less,” says Ms. Hegde. "We came to know that nearly ₹12 crore was allocated towards rejuvenating the lake in 2012, but it continues to be in a decrepit condition."
The Trust has relentlessly pursued BDA officials with a request to make work on the lake a priority.
In 2014, under provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, a notice was issued by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to heads of five civic bodies directing them not to discharge sewage into lakes and drains. When spot inspections were conducted, the KSPCB found that sewage had entered Arekere Lake. Three years later, sewage water continues to flow into the lake.
RTI activist Wing Commander G.B. Atri (retd.) said, “In the past five years, ₹7.36 crore has been spent in the name of rejuvenation of Arekere lake. This is gross misappropriation of public funds. It is quite apparent that for lakes to be rejuvenated, STPs are vital. Just scratching the surface of the issue wouldn't suffice.”
Shivshankar, Chief Engineer Officer at BDA, confirmed that the lake is getting contaminated. “The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) needs to redirect sewage from the lake for development work to resume. Until then, our hands our tied." He declined to comment on the encroachment.
Lake Development Authority assistant engineer Honniah said, “We had done our job by creating a Detailed Project Report for the BDA to work with in 2012. It was their responsibility to see the work through, but they are waiting for the BWSSB to clear the sewage while the BWSSB is waiting for the BBMP to tackle the encroachers. It seems the work has ceased since no one wants to make the first move. As of now, the lake lies abandoned.”
Mr. Honniah says that the need of the hour is a single body to oversee lakes. “We would like to have complete power over the fate of lakes, but this isn’t possible until the government entrusts one body with governance of lakes. Until then, confusion will prevail.”
