18 lakes in Bengaluru added to list of uninhabitable for aquatic life

BENGALURU:  Bengaluru, which is now popular as ‘Silicon City’ or ‘ITBT city’, was once known as the ‘City of lakes’ due to the presence of a large number of water bodies. But, over the decades, the number of lakes have reduced due to industrialisation and urbanisation.

Today, Bengaluru’s lakes are under threat. The water of the lakes is contaminated to such an extent that no aquatic life can survive. This year, 18 lakes in Bengaluru have been added to the list of water bodies that are uninhabitable for aquatic life. Fish in rajakaluves too have died due to presence of chemicals in the water.

There are more than 200 lakes in the city and the government and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have been promising that they will protect and develop the existing lakes, but conservation has been grossly neglected. The lakes in Bengaluru city have been polluted with chemicals, sewage, industrial waste from factories, and untreated water coming from the rajakaluves. This has become a huge danger for aquatic life.

The Chunchaghatta Lake in JP Nagar in Bengaluru South Constituency is witness to how the lake water has become uninhabitable for aquatic creatures. A large number of fish deaths have been highlighted by Public TV.

The lakes in Bengaluru added to the list of those uninhabitable for aquatic life include  Kothanur lake, Ibblur lake, Madiwala lake, Kundalahalli lake, Doddakallasandhra lake, Somasundarapalya lake, Bhattarahalli lake, Ullal lake, Sankey lake and Chelekere.

Lake conservation and activist Raghavendra said, “As I have seen, the fish deaths in Chunchagatta lake are the 19th such incident in the city due to release sewage water and untreated water.  When the contaminated water reaches the lake, the contamination level rises and the oxygen level drops and this will have an immediate impact on the fish. The polluted water comes from the rajakaluves. When we met the authorities concerned, including the BBMP and the Pollution Control Board, no one was ready to take responsibility, and no action had been taken yet.”