Delay in lakes’ revival mainly behind Mahadevapura water woes: Experts

Bengaluru: The prolonged delay in the rejuvenation of Bellandur and Varthur lakes is the primary reason for Mahadevapura zone witnessing an acute water scarcity due to the plummeting groundwater table, experts and activists say.The rejuvenation of the waterbodies, which are spread over 1,200 acres, began 4.5 years ago by Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). The work should have been completed two years ago but it is still dragging on, with activists blaming a lack of coordination amongst agencies.

Emphasizing the need to complete the rejuvenation earlier, Prof TV Ramachandra of the Indian Institute of Science, who is involved in the endeavour, said, “The two lakes contribute majorly to the recharge of groundwater and borewells, regardless of rain. Rejuvenation of lakes is vital, but the lack of coordination amongst agencies and lackadaisical approach are hindering the work.”Lake activists are upset over the slow pace of work that has resulted in the waterbodies presenting largely a barren look.“Ever since the BDA took up the project of rejuvenation, Bellandur and Varthur lakebeds look like cricket grounds with their bunds looking like the right place to have seating arrangements,” lamented Nagesh Aras, a Bellandur lake activist.He regretted that the authorities are acting as if Bengaluru has surplus water and are more focused on sharing treated water from the two lakes with neighbouring districts such as Kolar, instead of ensuring that the waterbodies benefit their immediate neighbourhood.Aesthetics first?Vishwanath Srikantaiah, another lake expert, said the bigger problem is that the civic agencies look at lakes only for aesthetic purposes and fail to understand that they play a vital role in groundwater recharge. “Wastewater from storm-water drains should be treated and let into the lakes to enable groundwater recharging. For this, the lakes must be rejuvenated within the stipulated deadline,” he added.“We had to drain the water to remove the silt from Bellandur Lake. Of its total area of 916 acres, the water is now spread over only 250 acres as the rest of the lakebed is already desilted. However, significant challenges are being faced in the desilting operations as they are restricted to night time, causing delays. Despite having 200 vehicles at our disposal, only 80-100 can operate simultaneously. Complicating matters, nearby apartment residents have been protesting against the noise and disturbances caused by truck movement. Moreover, reaching the dumping yard 22km away means vehicles have to pass through five villages, exacerbating delays and congestion issues,” a senior BDA official told TOI.“Varthur lake is almost desilted and we’re waiting for rain so that it fills up. Discussions on filling the lake with treated sewage water are under way,” he added.According to the official, the rejuvenation work will likely be wrapped up in a year.Jagadish Reddy, of Varthur Rising, said, “There is a humongous amount of silt deposited for decades in the lake, leading to compacted layers and preventing the water from percolating.”Sonali Singh, a member of Bellandur Lake Development, said, “During the desilting of Bellandur Lake, truckloads of plastic, even beds, mattresses and other solid waste were removed. I doubt the groundwater is being recharged. In most areas, the silt has solidified and stand as high as 8ft.”
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