Lakes of Bengaluru: Bellandur Lake to be restored by 2024, environment minister assures

“Garbage is being dumped around the stormwater drains upstream of Bellandur and Varthur lakes,” says Lake activist Jagadish Reddy.

The encroachments on the drains and buffer zone of Bellandur Lake continue unabated says Reddy.

After taking charge as environment and forest minister, Eshwar Khandre on May 31 visited Bellandur Lake and assured that the lake would be restored by 2024.

“I have instructed the officials to expedite work at Bellandur Lake. In 2024, Bellandur Lake will be free from sewage. The restoration work has definitely been delayed but I learnt that there were practical problems which the officials were facing. The lake receives 550 MLD of sewage and sewage treatment plants (STPs) will solve this. The five old STPs will be upgraded and nine new ones are being set up,” the minister said.

After taking charge as environment and forest minister, Eshwar Khandre on May 31 visited Bellandur Lake and assured that the lake would be restored by 2024.

He further said there were more than 3.2 lakh cubic metre of silt in the lake and 50 per cent of it has been removed.

An official from Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) said, “The practical problem we face is to dump the silt in quarries as there is huge opposition from residents living near these quarries. Moreover, we cannot carry the silt during the daytime as the traffic police do not allow heavy vehicles to move in the city during the day as it might cause traffic. So, the minister has directed that more vehicles should be used during the night.”

In 2020, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) started desilting the lake.

Lake activist Jagadish Reddy, who has been at the forefront of demanding the restoration of Bellandur and Varthur lakes, said that garbage was being dumped around the stormwater drains located upstream of these lakes.

“Garbage is being dumped around the stormwater drains upstream of Bellandur and Varthur lakes. This ends up clogging the drains. Moreover, the encroachments on the drains and buffer zone of Bellandur Lake continue unabated. Desilting of Bellandur Lake is progressing at a snail’s pace,” he added.

Desilting of Bellandur Lake is progressing at a snail’s pace,” says Lake activist Jagadish Reddy,

In his research in 2017, Dr TV Ramachandra, wetland specialist at the Centre for Ecological Sciences of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), highlighted that the wetland of Agara-Bellandur Lake, which earlier aided in retaining rainwater and groundwater recharge, has been ‘abused’ with construction activities by Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).

“The storm water drain connecting Bellandur lake from city market was narrowed to 28.5 meters against the original width of 60 meters thereby violating NGT guidelines of maintaining the physical integrity of storm water drains and buffer zone,” the research stated.

He criticised government agencies for concretising the drains. Ramachandra in the report also stated, “If the drains are concretised, the velocity of water increases which further enhances the chance of flooding.”