Fix lakes through transparent, multi-stakeholder collaborations

One more World Environment Day has come and gone. But we are still lagging far behind in addressing the actual causes of the pollution problem, manifested so starkly in our lakes.

The Covid-19 lockdown did show lakes in a less polluted avatar at least from the exterior, and Bellandur and Varthur lakes were no different. Apartment residents who were levied hefty penalties for not setting up Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) point this out to contend that the pollution is mainly caused by industrial effluents.

DH takes a closer look, interacting with a cross-section of Bengalureans to understand the issue better from multiple perspectives.

M Jayashankar, an Assistant Professor of Zoology, has this to say: “Lakes are multi-faceted aquatic ecosystems that harbour biodiversity ranging from insects, molluscs, fishes, and birds that replenish the groundwater and cater to human requirements.”

Anthropogenic disturbances such as sewage pollution, illegal fish-rearing, encroachments, unregulated waste dumping or unmanaged invasive alien species like water hyacinth threaten the existence of already declining numbers of water bodies in the city. “This gradual degradation of the pristine serenity of these ecosystems will impact the urban biodiversity and their aesthetic cum recreational value,” he notes.

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The concerned authorities, public and researchers, Jayashankar says, should engage in informative interaction to save these ecosystems from peril. “Access to the health parameters of the lakes pertaining to the pollutant levels, the algal bloom, assessment of the biota associated with the ecosystems, both online and via regular communication, is necessary to avoid misinformation and blame game.”

The blame-game can be avoided only through transparent interactions between all stakeholders, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), industries and apartment residents included.

The lockdown that forced the shutdown of several industrial units along the lake’s feeder canals and upstream lakes might have reduced the inflow of effluents. But domestic sewage outflow increased as more people were staying indoors.

Says Riya Ann Samuel, a research scholar: “The lockdown reduced the flow of industrial effluents but household sewage has increased now. The STP installed in my flat has helped in better management and disposal of the large accumulated sewage.”

She believes that “household wastes are now been responsibly segregated and disposed of because of the less busy lives we have now due to the lockdown.”

Sayant Vijay, an S G Palya resident, says: “Lately, we have forgotten our shibboleth, which was to grow along with nature. We have been indifferent towards nature and the biodiversity. During this lockdown, our rivers started cleaning on their own because of less human interaction. Now, it's high time to recall our duties and to correct ourselves.”

Fifty-year-old Philipose John, an independent learning and development consultant residing in Kalyannagar explains the correlation between the lockdown and industrial pollution: “The very fact that the lakes are less polluted show that the industries, which let their effluents into Bellandur and Varthur lakes, are the major polluters.”

It is now time for action. He explains, “I feel the state government should take stringent measures to stop the outflow of wastewater from the industries surrounding the lakes. The State should penalise the industries with the harshest measures if they do not follow the norms.”

Dewatering and re-watering the lakes, as it is being done now, will also play a major role in building the flora and fauna both within the lakes and surrounding areas, feels John.