As if the continued neglect of Devanur lake was not enough, use of the lakeside by the Mysuru City Corporation’s (MCC) garbage contractors for segregation of waste has irked the residents of the locality.
The MCC’s garbage collection vehicles used to routinely dump waste collected from different areas by the lake. Though the personnel used to shift the segregated waste into different vehicles, a substantial amount of garbage is left behind, letting out an unbearable stench.
On Tuesday morning, Azhar Mohammed and Zaheer Ul Haq, of Save Devanur Lake Forum, confronted the personnel segregating the waste along the lakeside by parking the garbage collection vehicle on the Devanur Tank Bund Road. “When garbage contractor Mahadevaiah reached the spot, he shot back and asked us where else could they segregate the waste,” Mr. Azhar said.
Though garbage collecting personnel filled the segregated waste into different vehicles and left the lakeside, some amount of waste remained uncleared.
The use of the lakeside for segregation of waste has begun to spread a foul smell in the adjoining areas.
The authorities have failed to take steps to conserve the lake, which has been languishing in a state of abject neglect with the unabated flow of sewage water and underground drainage into it, complained Mr. Ul Haq. Residents, who had held agitations and petitioned the authorities to save the lake, now have to contend with the lakeside now being used for segregation of waste too, he lamented.
Situated between Udayagiri and N.R. Mohalla, Devanur lake has been listed under the ‘Red Alert’ category as part of a recent study conducted by the Environment Management and Policy Research Institute of the Forest Department.
Even though a Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared on conservation of the lake, the authorities are dragging their feet on taking steps to implement the lake revival project.
While work on conservation of many other lakes in the city like Hebbal lake and Bommanahalli lake had been taken up under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects, Devanur lake continues to remain neglected by the authorities.
Though representations had been made to Narasimahraja Assembly constituency MLA Tanveer Sait, little has changed on the ground for Devanur lake, the residents lament.
