Ulsoor lake: Don't drain'on this parade, BBMP!

Ulsoor Lake, arguably one of the most beautiful spots in the city save for the stench of sewage that flows into it, might also be our ticket to bagging a Smart City tag. And it isn’t too difficult to accomplish: setting up an STP, building joggers paths and installing e-toilets will give the lake its much-needed makeover. If the BBMP does manage to meet the deadline, they could just set off a chain-reaction that will spruce up the city and help Bengaluru win the coveted title, reports Aknisree Karthik.

Driving past Ulsoor lake, with its vast expanse of water and a little island set in its midst, is a treat for the eyes. It’s only when you venture closer that you see the murky water and smell the stench of the sewage that regularly finds its way into it from the eastern part of the city.   While it still draws a number of walkers , they have on occasion been greeted by the horrifying sight of masses of dead fish floating on its surface, killed by the pollution that has been destroying its aquatic life for years .

While Bengalureans have for long demanded a cleaner, more vibrant lake, free of mosquitoes and sewage, the government has done little to revive it. But now that smaller towns have overtaken Bengaluru in bagging the Smart City tag, it has finally decided to give Ulsoor lake a makeover to help it win the coveted title. To begin with, a 2MLD sewage treatment plant (STP) will be set up to treat the sewage before it is let into the lake.    

Welcoming the move, water expert and urban planner, S Vishwanth, says once the STP begins to function much of the problem dogging  Ulsoor lake will vanish. “What is polluting the lake today is mainly the sewage entering it. Once this is stopped, its aquatic life will blossom and the birds will return, giving the lake its old life back,”  he says, adding,

“The BBMP has made a good move by submitting a proposal to develop the lake for the Smart City tag.”

Coordinator of energy and wetland research at the  Indian Insitute of Science, Dr T.V. Ramachandra agrees that untreated sewage is the lake’s biggest pollutant. “Adding to this is the illegal dumping of solid wastes,” he regrets.

While welcoming the construction of the STP near the lake, he warns that no water body can be revived without the active participation of the people. “The foundation stone has been laid for construction of an STP near the lake. But what next ? People need to actively monitor the work if they want to save it. Take the Jakkur lake, which was revived with the help of ordinary Bengalureans. They were the ones who removed the garbage, cleared the plastic and  parthenium and stopped the illegal dumping of solid wastes into it,” he recalls, emphasising that  people need to continue playing an active role in saving the 193 lakes the city is left with from the thousand that once dotted it.

STP: BBMP mum on delay, efforts to curb sewage

It was in January that the foundation stone was laid for the 2 MLD  sewage treatment plant (STP)  at Ulsoor Lake with the promise that it would be ready and  running by June. But although there are less than two months to go for the deadline given, there is no sign of the STP taking shape as promised.
Coming up on a 990 sq. meter plot near MEG on the lake front, the plant is expected to cost Rs 4.77 crore to build. While the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board is bearing this cost, its running and maintenance cost of Rs 4.49 crore for 10 years will be taken care of by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSS).

Going by sources in the BWSSB, the construction of the STP has been delayed owing to hurdles in land acquisition. But when contacted, V.C. Kumar, Additional Chief Engineer of the board, refused to comment  on the delay or give any fresh deadline for the plant’s completion. However, explaining the technology involved, he said the STP would use a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) technique, which let oxygen  through the sewage to activate the sludge and reduce organic matter.

Asked if the water board was making any effort to stop sewage from entering the lake at various points, Mr  Kumar was once again non-committal.

Tips to revive the lake

 

1. Stop untreated sewage from entering it.

 

2. Only let sewage that is treated and cleared of its chemical ions and nutrients  into the lake.

3. Stop  dumping of solid waste into it.

4. Encourage aquatic life as it will work as a natural cleaning agent and in turn attract birds.

5. People need to be vigilant to make sure the government delivers on its promise to revive the lake.