Bellandur lake: Plan's ready, money's there, what's the hold-up, George?
Bengaluru: There is an outcry from citizens, activists and scientists and a flurry of long-term solutions to clean up the highly contaminated, frothing Bellandur Lake, but Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George on Wednesday chose to opt for a temporary solution with a much cheaper outlay of '15 crore to reduce pollution at the lake.
But residents around Bellandur Lake and commuters, who pass by the stinking and highly toxic waterbody, have to wait till September for the plan to kick in, as Mr George made it clear that the Bangalore Development Authority would start de-weeding and de-silting the lake only after the rainy season ends.
After receiving a copy of the report, “Save Bellandur Action Plan”, submitted by the Namma Bengaluru Foundation, Mr George said, “We have already had lengthy discussions and debates till now. First, the temporary solution will be implemented which will cost the BDA Rs 15 crore.”
On the fate of the report and permanent solutions suggested by the experts, he said, “The long-term plans are many. A few people have suggested creating wet lands, while a German company, which claims that lake water has been polluted to the extent of 99 percent, has said that it can be treated using bacteria. Others have suggested diverting lake water, but it will cause further damage to Varthur and other lakes.
Only after all the experts, activists and institutions come together can we come out with a cumulative, long-term plan. We will take suggestions of all the experts and scientists and take a critical look at each one of them to decide on the plan. We need at least two to three years to rejuvenate the lake completely. There is no shortage of funds, but we need a proper action plan to execute.”
Commenting on a court stay on the construction of sewage treatment plants and other related projects in the city, Mr George said that he will ask the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court Subhro Kamal Mukherjee to set up a ‘fast-track court’ to handle projects related to environment.
