Continued discharge of sewage from northern and eastern parts of the city into the Devanur lake has not only turned the water body into an eyesore, but also a major health hazard.
With the feeder canals that used to bring fresh water to Devanur lake choking decades ago owing to unbridled urbanisation, the water body is no more than a sewage dump full of weeds and silt.
“The stagnating sewage in the lake has become a health hazard. It breeds millions of mosquitoes that spread vector-borne diseases in the surrounding areas,” complained Zaheer, a resident of Udayagiri.
Three storm-water drains, carrying mostly sewage, flow into the lake. While one drain brings sewage from Ghousia Nagar, Shantinagar and Azeez Sait Nagar, the other drain brings sewage from Gayathripuram, Muneshwaranagar and Sathgalli. Another drain brings waste from Ganesh Nagar, N.R. Mohalla and A.J. Block.
The former Mayor Ayub Khan, who represents parts of Udayagiri and Rajiv Nagar in the Mysore City Corporation, said conservation of the lake was taken up by the civic body about three or four years ago from the Rs. 5-crore fund allotted by the Chief Minister’s fund.
As part of the conservation project, a sewage treatment plant was proposed to be set up on the lake-bed to treat the sewage mixed with water in the storm-water drains. The underground drainages in all the surrounding areas are connected to these storm-water drains, he pointed out.
The project also envisaged beautification of the lake with parks and ornamental plants, he said.
“Though the tender was also allotted, the contractor abandoned the project mid-way on the grounds that it was unviable as there was a lot of silt in the lake,” Mr. Khan said. Unfortunately, the Mysore City Corporation is yet to revive the project by either bringing pressure on the contractor or identifying an alternative contractor.
The newly-appointed Commissioner of Mysore City Corporation Betsurmath said he was yet to abreast himself about the issue, but promised to visit the area shortly for an inspection.
