Due to paucity of funds, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is unable to meet the deadlines of the lake restoration projects and because of this there is a crisis-ridden stream that desperately needs attention – Seegehalli Lake. The work to build a sewage treatment plant (STP) and a new walkway around the Sejahalli lake, which is spread over an area of 31.13 acres, is progressing at a snail’s pace.
Lake activists working for the development of the lake said that not only the government agencies have delayed the development works but also destroyed the existing ecosystem around the lake. He also pointed to eutrophication of the lake, a condition in which water bodies lose dissolved oxygen.
The BBMP said that due to the pandemic, the restoration work was affected and now the lake department of the civic body is facing severe cash crunch. (Express photo Jitendra M.)
Lake activist Balaji Raghotham said, “The development work of this lake was started last year and is yet to be completed. STP work is not completed yet. Encroachment will have to be removed from the storm water drains connecting to the lake. There is a flaw in the engineering design that impedes the flow of rainwater into the lake. Authorities have destroyed children’s play areas, nature yoga platforms and even benches in an attempt to build underground drainage (UGD) lines. Hyacinth is present in the lake. BBMP should maintain the lake from time to time. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) had laid a UGD pipe a few years back and though we alerted the authorities that the pipe was not big enough to bear the load of the adjoining residential areas, they went ahead. Since then UGD pipes have been laid twice, but all in vain.
Reiterating Raghotam’s claims, another local resident Harishchandra Prasad V said, “Drainage work is going on for the past one year. In the process, the existing gym equipment was destroyed. A lot of plants were removed as well as the lake silt which should have been carried did not happen. The lake should be maintained. When we ask the contractors, they assure us to return the things but nothing has been done.”
The lake activist pointed to eutrophication of the lake, a condition in which water bodies lose dissolved oxygen. (Express photo Jitendra M.)
Venkata Rama Rao, another resident who volunteered for the development of the lake, is not happy with the snail work being done in the lake. “It seems that the work has stopped. How long will it take for the agencies to complete the work? I collected money from donors to put up benches around the lake. The agencies completely destroyed them while building the UGD line. Those benches were barely two years old. I am not sure if things will get back in shape,” he said.
Eshwarappa M, a local resident of Seegahalli, said, “In the name of development, the entire lake has been destroyed. There is a flaw in the style of the lake restoration. The authorities should stop thinking of the lake as a bowl of soup. The lake needs to get fresh water from SWD but unfortunately, this lake receives raw sewage. Officials just remove the silt and ignore the big problem of sewage entering the water bodies. During the rains, the lake receives raw sewage and waste. ,
Seegehalli Lake is spread over an area of 31.13 acres. (Express photo Jitendra M.)
Sukumar, a member of the Seegehalli Lake Development Trust (Citizens’ Collective), joined the chorus and said that the development work is slow. He said, “BBMP has stated that 1.2 MLD capacity of the STP is under construction and ideally the construction of the plant should have been completed by now, but BBMP officials cite paucity of funds for not completing the work on time. ,” They said.
BBMP officials say that due to the pandemic, the restoration work was affected and now the lake department of the civic body is facing a severe cash crunch, which hinders timely completion of the work. “The lake will get an STP and a new walkway will also be built. The construction of sewage diversion channel will prevent the entry of sewage into the lake. However, the progress of work is slow due to paucity of cash,” said a BBMP official on condition of anonymity.