Varthur Lake waste weir ready, gets sluice gate

Bengaluru: After failing to meet many deadlines over the last year, the Varthur Lake waste weir that was breached during the 2017 heavy monsoon has been restored with additional features like motor-controlled sluice gates to contain frothing and flooding.

The lake clean-up will also be taken shortly, environmentalists said. “Eighty-percent of the fencing is complete. The major advantage of the sluice gate is it controls flooding,” said Mr Jagadish Reddy of Varthur Rising.

He said that the short-term goal for Varthur Lake is the removal of encroachments from storm water drains and clearing of construction debris which has disturbed the ecology of the lake.

The 195-foot wide and 2.83-km long illegal road inside Varthur Lake has now been narrowed to run only the pipeline. “The minor irrigation department should remove the debris. To show the NGT that they have done something, they have aligned the debris vertically over the pipeline,” Mr Reddy said.

At a meeting of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) committee held last week, it was suggested that a temporary diversion channel be constructed to divert the storm water drain carrying rainwater and raw sewage around Varthur and Bellandur Lakes downstream, which may reduce the foul smell.

“We are anyway bearing the stench. But the diversion is necessary for the lake clean-up. The first step towards rejuvenation is desilting for which the diversion channels will be effective. The residents have to be prepared for this and the municipal agency should take preventive measure to tackle the mosquito menace,” Mr Jagadish said.