Residents and commuters near Varthur Lake were shocked to see it frothing - a sight usually witnessed during monsoon in the highly polluted lake. What made matters worse was the unbearable foul smell.
Officials said the lake was frothing because of ongoing civil works on the lake. But locals blamed it on improper management.
Residents have decided to raise the issue in the upcoming NGT Committee meeting scheduled on March 12. They are also planning to put an appeal before the NGT on the issue.
“The lake is stinking and it is a clear sign that the sewage treatment plant is not working to its full capacity. The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), custodians of the lake, have installed sluice gates but they don’t seem to be working,” said a local.
They also said the lake was frothing since the last four days, but on Tuesday the froth started flying on commuters.
The purpose of the sluice gate is to control the flow of water and turbulence, but in this case the water is frothing after passing the sluice gate.
Officials from the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) blamed the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike for the problem.
Mahadev Gowda, Executive Engineer, BDA, Varthur Lake, cited ongoing works on the waste weir and copper bund for the frothing.
“Due to these civil works the width of the channels has reduced from 100 feet to 20 feet. So the pressure has increased and causing the lake to froth,” he said.