No helping hand for Bengaluru's dying lakes

Bengaluru: The CAG report titled a performance audit on Conservation and Ecological restoration of Lakes under the jurisdiction of Lake Development Authority and Urban Local Bodies which was tabled in the Belagavi session of the state legislature has detailed where we failed in protecting our lakes. The CAG audit was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the initiatives taken by various agencies involved in the conservation and rejuvenation of the lakes in urban and semi-urban areas of the state.

According to the report, the results of the performance audit showed that the institutional mechanism for the conservation and restoration of lakes was weak. The report says that the Lake Development Authority (LDA), being the regulatory body for monitoring and supervising the activities of entities involved in the restoration works of lakes, was inactive as it was not carrying out its mandated role and responsibility.

The LDA did not initiate measures for an integrated approach in planning and prioritization of lakes for restoration among all the entities responsible for the conservation, restoration and development of the lakes. Coordination among the implementing agencies was deficient, resulting in works being taken up without adequate prioritization, construction of sewage diversion channels, fencing without removal of encroachments, etc.

Along with the LDA, the CAG report is critical of the other government agencies too. According to the report, neither the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) nor the implementing agencies had complete data on the pollution levels in the lake.

The major source of pollution in Bengaluru was sewage which could not be regulated by the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). Besides pollution, the CAG also took a dig at the restoration of the lakes. The report says that deficiencies were noticed in the restoration works carried out by the implementing agencies.

“Works like de-silting were carried out excessively and without justification. Improper construction of embankments prevented free inflow of run-off water from the surrounding catchment areas thereby reducing the water inflow into the lakes. Instead of prioritizing core works for lake rejuvenation, non-core works were given undue significance. The agencies had not assessed the impact of pollution in lakes and the related risks to human health, biodiversity and groundwater,” the report observed.

Nagavara Lake

Allalasandra Lake
Custodian: BBMP

• Residential quarters for the staff of Forest Department were provided inside the lake area and a vast area of lake was also occupied by slum dwellers.
• The lake rejuvenation works carried out (2010-13) incurring an expenditure of Rs 7.58 crore were mainly non-core works which included beautification works such as landscaping along the ring bund, gazebo and resting place etc, boat jetty, island without plants.

Nagavara Lake (Bengaluru East)
Custodian: Leased to M/s. Lumbini Gardens

• There was no demarcation of lake area and a portion of la ke area on the south east corner was diverted for providing connectivity to the upcoming Special Economic Zone.
• This lake is leased to M/s. Lumbini Gardens. This company has set up restaurants, party halls, amusement and water theme parks, motor boats etc., thereby polluting the lake area. Due to sewage ingression, the entire wetland region was covered with water hyacinth and floating debris.

Rachenahalli Lake

• Restoration works carried out without removal of encroachments.
• BDA had formed a residential layout in the lake area. It also diverted 11 acres of lake for the formation of a park as part of rejuvenation works, in violation of rules.
• Fencing was breached and left open in many stretches to provide access roads to nearby residential areas.
• The level of pollution was not assessed by any agency. BWSSB laid the UGD network very close to the water spread area with the approval of the LDA and the BDA.
• The treated water flowing from Jakkur Lake was not entering the lake as the inlet was connected to a sewage diversion channel and the wetland remained dry.

Chokkanahalli Lake
Custodian: BBMP

• The atchcut area across the main bund had been demarcated for residential site formation.
• The lake bund was used as a road to provide connectivity to the nearby Areas.
• A graveyard was also noticed inside the lake area.
• The constructed inlet was defective as the opening of inlet was below the existing waste weir. The inlet provided with silt trap, screen barrier etc was logged and the excess water was not flowing into the lake.

Kowdenhalli Lake
Custodian: BBMP

• The natural wetland was encroached by the ITI factory and a road was formed in the centre as a connecting route to K.R. Puram.
• The lake is spread over 55 acres 5 guntas and half of the lake area had been encroached upon by a college, slum, residential layouts, road, market.
• The silt traps/sedimentation tanks were blocked, thus disallowing any inflow into the lake and instead the Raja Kaluve (SWD) with sewage and solid waste was flowing from the surrounding settlements into the lakes, thereby polluting the lake.

Bellandur Lake (South East Bengaluru)
Custodian: BDA

• The lake area was fenced partially, incurring an expenditure of Rs 3.31 crores due to non-removal of encroachments.
• At Kempapura village area, SWD alignment was seen diverted by private parties resulting in encroachment and reduction in the lake area.
• Discharge of polluted water with obnoxious odour and foam
• formation was observed in the waste weir region of the lake and the lake was also covered with hyacinth, which resulted in polluted water.

Horamavu-Agara Lake

Horamavu-Agara Lake (Eastern Bengaluru)
Custodian: BDA

• During the inspection, it was found that lake area was filled with construction debris and fencing was damaged.
• A residential apartment was pumping untreated sewage generated from the houses directly into the lake, causing pollution.
• Lake area was encroached upon for construction of bus-stand near north-west inlet. Several apartments and other residential houses had breached the buffer zone.
• The pollution level was not being monitored by any of the agencies and no Works were taken up during 2009-14.

Chikka Bellandur Lake (Bengaluru East)
Custodian: BDA

• Lake was polluted with solid waste and construction debris and the pollution level was also not being monitored by any of the agencies.
• BBMP had planted trees in the lake bed area and no restoration works were taken up either by BBMP or BDA to revive the lake as a fresh water body.
• There were no inlets to the lake and thus, the entire lake bed had dried up.

Vengaiahanakere (East Bengaluru)
Custodian: this lake was developed by LDA and leased to M/s. PAR.C, Bengaluru since 2005 for a period of 15 years.

• M/s. PAR.C, Bengaluru is using motor boats, violating the agreemental clause and polluting the lake.
• The Bengaluru-Kolar National Highway was formed on the main bund of the lake. On the eastern side of the lake, a vast area was being filled with earth for formation of a road inside the lake area.
• BWSSB’s UGD line inside the lake bed was seen overflowing into the lake area. The treated water from STP and untreated sewage was mixed and was entering the lake. The water quality of the lake was not being monitored by any of the agencies.