Bellandur lake rejuvenation: Experts concerned by ‘unscientific’ approach

Experts and activists are concerned about the unscientific approach being taken to rejuvenate Bellandur lake, the largest in Bengaluru.

A pipeline laid by the Minor Irrigation Department and BWSSB from KC Valley to Anekal has divided the lake into two, damaging its ecosystem.

“I was disappointed to see the pipeline laid inside the lake and covered with mud and plants. The other part of the lake has been left out. It won’t fill up even during rains,” said Prof T V Ramachandra from the Indian Institute of Science. He monitored the work from the beginning.

Activist Jagadish Reddy said the authorities failed to take remedial action as directed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

“It’s a good idea to supply treated water to Anekal but it should not come at the cost of destroying a lake’s ecosystem,” Reddy said.

Sources familiar with the situation suspect that the five-acre left-out area would eventually be grabbed by realtors, even as BDA and BWSSB officials insisted the pipeline will not damage the lake. “We will develop a wetland. It should prevent damage,” a BDA engineer working on the project said.

A BWSSB official admitted that the pipeline should ideally have been laid outside of the lake.

“But even the present alignment will not do much harm. Once the lake is full, the pipelines will be submerged,” he said.

Prof Ramachandra also pointed out that the BWSSB had failed to stop sewage from entering the lake despite a 2019 deadline.

“Sewage flows through the diversion channel constructed for the purpose and doesn’t enter the lake. We will ensure sewage is arrested before the lake is completely rejuvenated,” the BWSSB official said.

Illegal construction in the lake’s buffer zone and the failure to remove encroachments from nearly four acres of land have also hampered the rejuvenation works.

Only 52% work complete

Work is only 52% complete though the BDA started the project in December 2020 and eyed an August 2022 deadline.

Officials admit the project work may go on until early 2024.

While officials cited the pandemic among other reasons for the delay, sources faulted the authorities for lack of planning. “We did not know which area had poisonous silt. It was only in March 2021 that the KSPCB gave a report.

“But officials did not give us the location to dump the excavated soil,” a worker said.

Transporting silt to a quarry 20 km away also delayed the process.

Project details

Total area to be excavated: 916 acres

Total silt to be removed: 32.33 lakh cubic metres

Silt excavated since Dec 2020: 16.88 lakh cubic metres

Silt transported since March 2021: 20.32 lakh cubic metres

Total cost of project: Rs 100.3 crore