Bengaluru: Five years ago, Bellandur lake resembled a massive construction site. Scores of trucks, backhoe loaders and excavators rolled in to scoop out silt, fuelling hope among residents that the city’s largest lake would be desilted and would breathe again with cleaner water, greater storage capacity and a revived ecosystem. Cut to the present: Silt remains Bellandur’s most stubborn resident!The lake returned to the spotlight when TOI, in the second week of Jan, asked Bangalore Development Authority (BDA): How much silt has actually been removed so far?
Officials in charge of lake development replied nearly 70% of lake rejuvenation work (including dewatering, desilting and building diversion channels) has been completed. When the work order was issued to the contractor in Nov 2020, it was estimated that the 916-acre lake had accumulated 32.3 lakh cubic metres of silt (equivalent to filling a whopping 1,300 Olympic-size swimming pools). Now, 22.7 lakh cubic metres of silt has been removed and dumped at two quarries on the outskirts of the city, officials said. Lake activists, however, tell a different story. According to them, meaningful desilting came to a halt years ago. What has intensified instead, they allege, are dumping activities and widening works, with little to show in terms of improved water quality or restored habitat. BDA officials, however, insist only 12 lakh cubic metres of silt is yet to be removed. Originally planned to dredge to a depth of 3 metres, logistical challenges limited it to only 1.5 metres, officials admitted. Concerns over temporary roadActivists also flagged concerns over a temporary bund road built inside the lake to transport dredged silt, alleging that it is now being widened to nearly 60 feet — far beyond operational needs — while large quantities of soil, debris and construction waste are being dumped inside the lake, effectively raising ground levels. They alleged that the lake, one of the city’s most critical hydrological and ecological assets, could suffer irreversible damage due to alterations to its natural contours and buffer zones. “These activities raise serious concerns that a temporary bund is being strengthened to eventually convert it into a permanent road, which is legally impermissible,” said members of Kempapura Yemalur Bellandur Institution Association (KYBIA), a public charitable trust involved in lake restoration.“We are doing our best with the resources provided, but without proper support and coordination, our hands are tied,” a senior BDA official said, adding, “Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) should also be responsible for the action. We are desilting lakes and transporting the silt, while they should control the waste from entering waterbodies.”blurbCalling for urgent corrective steps, Jagadish Reddy, a social worker associated with Bellandur–Varthur Lakes Development Committee, said, “A monitoring committee must be formed immediately. Desilting should be completed without delay and CCTV cameras should be installed to prevent dumping and encroachments.”
