Karnataka forest department to start deweeding Madiwala lake

When asked, officials said entry of untreated sewage into the lake is one of the major reasons behind the growth of weed in the lake. While Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) in 2022 had started a sewage treatment plant (STP) of 10 MLD capacity, the plan is to upgrade the STP. According to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the lake has an unsatisfactory water quality index owing to the entry of sewage into the lake.

An official from BWSSB said, “The STP will be upgraded but we need more than 5 acre of land near the lake. Once upgraded, the lake will receive only treated sewage water.”

In 2019, the custody of Madiwala lake was transferred to the forest department from Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

In the 2022-23 Karnataka Budget, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced a comprehensive development of Madiwala lake and Yele Mallappa Shetty lake. In this regard, the state government had announced extending a special grant of Rs 120 crore to restore the two lakes.

However, according to senior officials from the BBMP and forest department, none received a grant to restore the lake. “Initially, in the Budget, the BBMP was asked to prepare a detailed project report for restoration of the Madiwala lake. But a month later in April, the forest department was handed over the custody of the lake. Neither the BBMP received the grant nor the forest department to carry out the restoration of the lake,” a senior official from the forest department said on the condition of anonymity.