BENGALURU: While citizens are happy that spells of rain over the last few days have brought down the searing temperatures, those staying around Varthur Lake are angry. As the inflow into the water body has increased, the old frothing problem is back to haunt the residents.
Over a month ago, the BWSSB introduced the “siphon technology”, an idea mooted by Mr Pradeep Kharola, BMRCL chief, and was successful in reducing the froth by 90 percent on the waste weir on the north-eastern side of the lake. But with rains lashing over the last one week, frothing is back again.
Mr Jagadish Reddy Nagappa of the Citizen Lake Warden Committee said, “The siphon technology was adopted in only one part of the lake, while the other parts of the lake, which extends up to Varthur village, are spitting froth all over roads making life difficult for us.”
Members of the Lake Warden Committee had earlier warned the officials working on the siphon technology that it will not help if the inflow to the lake increases, he said.
As the inflow has increased, the siphon technology structure with inverted 'U'-shaped tubes is completely submerged now, rendering it ineffective. The mesh that the BDA had installed to prevent froth from spilling out onto the streets is also of no help as winds carry froth up to 70 feet over the mesh, he said.
“Residents and the media are doing their bit to highlight the issue, but the government still seems to be in deep slumber,” he lamented.
Mr Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO, Namma Bengaluru Foundation, said that frothing in Bengaluru lakes is going from bad to worse. “It is alarming in Varthur. Now new lakes, like Subramanyapura, are joining the list. It exposes the failure of KLDCA and KSPCB in safeguarding our Lakes from industrial pollution," he said.
“Every lake is dumped with construction and demolition debris and municipal solid waste. Bengalureans across the city have come together to reclaim the lakes under United Bengaluru. Citizens will not rest until our lakes return to their once pristine glory" he said.
