BMC empties Bandra Talao to revive the heritage lake

MUMBAI: For the first time in recent memory, the popular 7.5-acre Bandra Talao, a Grade II heritage lake, has been dewatered as part of a major rejuvenation drive. The urban waterbody is now a vast stretch of exposed mudflats and heavy silt deposits, with excavation machinery and pumps working through the remaining patches of sludge. Officials said the exercise marks Phase I of the lake's restoration, involving complete dewatering followed by systematic desilting. The project is being executed in phases, with the first phase covering dewatering and desilting, while Phase II will focus on aesthetic upgrades and public utility improvements around the lake perimeter.

Civic officials overseeing the work said the lake had been under severe ecological stress for years. "The average biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) observed in studies conducted for the DPR (detailed project report) was 100 mg/litre. In a healthy lake, BOD is less than 5 mg/litre. Based on this, it is estimated that there is sewage seepage into the lake. There is no direct inflow of sewage into the lake, as the entire area is covered by BMC's sewerage system," said Milind Kulkarni, an independent expert involved in preparing the DPR.

Dinesh Pallewad, assistant municipal commissioner of H-West ward, said no live aquatic species were found during the dewatering process. "Only two dead turtles were recovered from the lakebed, showing the extent of ecological deterioration. We will also construct a 1 MLD (million litres per day) sewage treatment plant (STP) near the lake. The treated water is expected to be reintroduced into the waterbody to improve circulation and address concerns related to stagnation and poor aeration."

Bandra (West) MLA Ashish Shelar, who recently reviewed the ongoing work, said in a post on X that Bandra Talao is not just a waterbody, but an integral part of the constituency's identity and heritage. "Officials have been instructed to expedite the work and ensure timely completion," he wrote.

The desilting work has been underway for nearly two weeks. Officials said aerators installed in the lake in the past had become non-operational due to maintenance and electricity-related issues, while the equipment was damaged over time.

But former Bandra West corporator Asif Zakaria said the emptied talao clearly indicates there is no major sewerage inflow from surrounding areas, despite this being cited as one of the justifications for costly interventions: "If sewer inflow was not the real issue, was an expensive sewage treatment plant even required? The declining water quality perhaps had more to do with decades of stagnation and lack of continuous aeration and oxygenation."