Lakes of fire The froth spewing from them in Bengaluru is a symptom of a pervasive urban problem. By Isher Judge Ahluwalia
Bellandur lake in
Bengaluru has been much in the news in recent months for the surge of foam and
froth from the polluted lake, and the rise of smoke and flames from the area
surrounding it. Barely two weeks ago, in the midst of the city’s heaviest rains
in a century, the stinking froth and foam (a mix of chemicals and untreated
sewage) rose as high as 10 to 12 feet from Bellandur and spread onto the
streets, endangering traffic and entering shops and homes across the road,
causing huge inconvenience to those living in the area. Only a few months
earlier, in February, the area was engulfed in smoke as garbage strewn around
the lake was set ablaze.
In May 2015, the
Bellandur lake itself was on fire, creating enormous fear and anxiety in the
minds of the people living in the area. The Central Pollution Control Board
(CPCB) submitted a report to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and
Climate Change, highlighting the sustained inflow of untreated sewage and
industrial effluents as the principal forces behind the phenomena of froth and
fire. Subsequently, an expert committee set up by the state government
submitted its report on rejuvenation of the lake in October 2016.
How long would it take
to get down to action? It is hard to believe that this is happening to the
largest lake in the Silicon Valley of India, which has been known for its
hundreds of lakes originally built in the 16th century by damming the natural
valley systems. The National Green Tribunal turned its attention to the
problems of the Bellandur lake in February, and expressed extreme
dissatisfaction on the unhealthy condition of the lake in its successive
hearings. The tribunal has issued a number of directions emphasising the need
for removal of silt from the lake, treatment of municipal sewage which is going
into the water body, closure of polluting industries, ban on dumping of
municipal solid waste around the lake, penalty on apartment buildings in the
area which are sending untreated sewage to the lake and an environmental fine
of Rs 5 lakh on anyone found dumping waste in and around the lake. Most
recently, the NGT has asked all departments of the government to work together
to prepare an Action Plan by September 7 for cleaning up the lake.
Bellandur is only one
example, although a major one, of what we are doing to most of our lakes,
streams and rivers in urban India. Out of 480 million litres per day (MLD) of
wastewater discharged to the lake, only 308 MLD is treated. According to the
CPCB, 75 per cent of the measured pollution in our rivers from point sources is
from municipal sewage and 25 per cent is from industrial effluents.
Indian cities and
towns have abused their surface water bodies. Sewerage networks are supposed to
ensure that sewage or wastewater is conveyed to a sewage treatment plant,
treated and then discharged into water bodies. Bengaluru has 6,800 km of
sewerage line and 14 sewage treatment plants. The capacity for sewage treatment
in Bengaluru in 2015-16 was 51 per cent but actual sewage treatment was only 37
per cent of the sewage generated. This is still higher than the 30 per cent
average for all Indian cities and towns. Since the “unofficial”
groundwater that is used by city residents from private bore-wells is not
included in the definition of water consumed by the city wastewater or sewage
(estimated as 80 per cent of the water consumed in the city) is typically
under-estimated. The situation with respect to sewage treatment is therefore
worse than it appears for all cities. As the untreated
wastewater or sewage finds its way to local waterbodies, it feeds the growth of
water-weeds, which blankets surface water. .. read more:
