The beautiful Hebbal lake with its dense patch of mini forest that one can witness from the flyover hides some ugly facts.
BWSSB motors at work sucking sanitary waste and pumping in in SWD, Hebbal, Bangalore |
Residents living along the lake have horrifying tales to tell anyone who wants to listen thanks to the civic apathy that they are facing for years.
For the last three years, those residing in Bhadrappa layout, Hebbal Sarovara layout, Hebbal-Kempapura have been fighting to save the lake as sewage is being let into it.
“A storm water drain passing from Tata Nagar towards Dr Rajkumar lake in Nagawara alongside Hebbal lake has been acting as a sewage dump here. Every time it rains, the water levels rise and the sewage and silt in the storm water drains gets deposited in to the Hebbal lake. The backside of the lake, which is not visible from the Hebbal flyover, stinks badly,’’ says Rama Raju, a resident.
“Already the smell is reaching the KIA road in front of the Military farm,’’ Raju says.
A month ago there was a mass death of fish here, revealing how fragile the eco-system in Hebbal lake has become.
Mix of sewage and rain water stagnated in Storm Water Drain, Hebbal |
Currently, the lake and the adjacent park area is in the custody of the Oberoi group of hotels which has a 15-year lease that is set to expire in 2018-19. Though the hotel group also closely monitors the quality of water, they are helpless as they are dependent on the BWSSB to stop the inflow of sewage.
A sewage water treatment plant on the lake banks has been dysfunctional for more than four years now. It used to treat the water before being allowed into the lake, says another resident.
Approximately, sewage belonging to 15,000 houses along the edge of the lake and beyond is daily being let into the storm water drain, parts of which has breached and mixes with the lake waters.
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board had taken up a massive project in 2013 to lay separate sewage lines, but these main lines are yet to be connected as the contractor has abandoned the work.
BWSSB Jetting machines at work pumping sanitary to SWD, Hebbal |
“Just last week, when the sewage overflowed onto roads, a jetting machine had to come and clear the silt from the manholes. Life has become difficult here as we don’t know if its rain water or sewage water that is overflowing onto our roads these days. It breeds diseases too,’’ says Srinivas Murthy, a senior citizen.
On August 1 too the BWSSB requisitioned the services of the jetting machine.
Rama Raju says the smell has become overbearing and forces residents to shut all windows and doors. “We have lots of young children in the layout who fall sick regularly. The stagnant water also breed mosquitoes.’’
The residents have given a memorandum to the ward Corporator and MLA. They want the BWSSB works to be completed soon so that the lake is saved.
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