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Cleaning of Kengeri Lake by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) is pending since 2014 leading to a loss of biodiversity and commercial activities around the lake.
Aashwin
03/11/2022
Home to millions of mosquitoes, the flora and fauna of the Kengeri lake is reduced to a minimum due to rapid depletion in the water quality. Contaminated water from the sewage constantly flows into the lake without any kind of filtering process.
Assistant Engineer at Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) says “there is an existing line which has been completely silted beside the Kengeri lake. Within one month of the tender being approved by the concerned authority the work will be started. After that no sewage will be going in the Kengeri lake.”
The BBMP adopted the lake from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in 2014. But work for cleaning of the lake has not started yet. The lake has also received a lot of negative reviews online. Most visitors of the lake complains about the water quality. Boating activity was started in 2010. However, it stopped after two years because the lake remained uncleaned and it also led to excessive growth of weed inside the lake
The fencing is old and is broken at many places. This makes it easy for stray dogs and people to get inside the lake and create more pollution in the area where the lake existed. Pollution and bad stench of the lake has also led to a loss of business for the small shop owners who sell their products near the lake.
Mahesh B.V. owner of a food stall near the Kengeri lake says “earlier many people used to come when the lake was clean. But in recent years the number has decreased significantly. Now mostly locals from nearby places come who don’t buy anything.”
Lake activist and environmentalist Vijay says the first thing is desilting of the lake. After that new fences should be put and people must be appointed to keep a check on the health of the lake until enough water comes in the lake so that it can clean itself.
In its official document the BBMP has not provided any date of commencement of work or the name of the company which has been awarded with the grant. Cleaning of the Kengeri Lake is pending for years and it seems it will take some more time for the work to begin. Meanwhile the lake continues to lose its biodiversity.
