Varthur Lake bubbles with toxic foam, but BDA helpless as usual
- Toxic foam floated from the Varthur Lake and spilled onto Whitefield and Varthur main road.
- BDA officials said they would inspect the area and come up with solutions but experts believe that this is a failure of civic agencies.
- Bengaluru Development Minister KJ George visited the area. He said the govt would cancel builders' permits if they dump their waste in the water body.
FollowAfter a spell of heavy rain, those living around Varthur Lake witnessed a different kind of shower. For the past few days, residents of Whitefield had to put up with froth, filth and stench emanating from the lake. For the people living in the area, this was just another example of how little the BDA has done to provide them relief.
During the weekend, foam from Varthur Lake escaped the wire mesh put up by the BDA and flew onto Whitefield main road. Motorists had to duck from the toxic foam and navigate through heavy traffic. Raman TV, a resident of the area told Bangalore Mirror that residents of the area have to deal with mosquito bites and terrible stench but each year, their complaints fall on deaf ears.
Varthur lake snow fall after rainfall..!! @WFRising pic.twitter.com/Ptyrad9wa6
— GYANESH MAURYA (@mauryagyanesh) May 28, 2017
One more lake in #Bengaluru "frothing" #SubramanyapuraLake - cause?
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar (@rajeev_mp) May 27, 2017
pollutn, encroachmnt, corrption in name of #development @CMofKarnataka pic.twitter.com/fX9dmQRxiX
On the weekend, videos of froth floating in Varthur main road went viral on social media. Residents were shocked at the amount of toxic waste that spilled onto their roads. However, civic agencies in the city have only promised to conduct inspections and have shifted the blame onto other agencies.
Mahendra Jain, additional chief secretary, urban development department said that BDA would inspect the lake. He added that BWSSB was directed to introduce a permanent syphoning mechanism. In fact, BWSSB had introduced a syphoning mechanism on March 29 but it wasn’t effective during the rain, reported Deccan Herald.
Along with the images, wish I could transfer the smell. It stinks. & folks trying to avoid getting it on them. @thekjgeorge @BPACofficial pic.twitter.com/5wYgkhW6GL
— Whitefield Rising (@WFRising) May 28, 2017
Revenge of the #VarthurLake foam. Mesh, what mesh? Reached across the road till Virginia Mall pic.twitter.com/IG4GJMJW2u
— Whitefield Rising (@WFRising) May 28, 2017
On May 26, Bengaluru Development Minister KJ George visited the area and came up with solutions to stop dumping the Varthur Lake. He suggested that the BDA will cancel builders’ permits if they dump debris and pollute the lake. He also said the government will talk to CREDAI and educate builders on eco-conservation, according to Bangalore Mirror.
Varthur lake is frothing again! Housefly, mosquito polulation is thru the roof. Please!!@CMofKarnataka @chairmanbwssb @WFRising
— Geethanjali K R (@geet904) May 28, 2017
Pc:Barathi pic.twitter.com/Kh6iGOlvUm
@thekjgeorge varthur lake crying in despair. Please speed up the rejuvenation efforts. @WFRising pic.twitter.com/yQltjCfOwF
— Murali (@muralig_wr) May 28, 2017
However, civic experts believe Bengaluru’s lakes are dying and the government’s measures aren’t enough. Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO, Namma Bengaluru Foundation said, "This exposes the failure of government agencies and bodies such as the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA) and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). Citizens have already adopted a resolution to save lakes and the failure of the government has made this all the more necessary”
In fact, it wasn’t just Varthur Lake that was foaming this weekend. Subramayapura Lake in south Bengaluru was engulfed in froth due to pollution and encroachment.
