Now, Sarakki lake spews froth

After Bellandur lake, two more prominent water bodies in the City, Sarakki and Subramanyapura lakes, have started frothing indicating the high contamination levels of their water.

Froth had accumulated in the lakes in the past one week, but it increased on Thursday and Friday after the rains. The phenomenon was seen at the waste-weir (“Kere Kodi”) of these two lakes.

Chaitanya, a resident of JP Nagar, complained that the inaction of the government machinery would lead to the death of these precious water bodies.

“In the past too, we had lodged many complaints about the high contamination of water in these two lakes, but the government departments, especially the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Bangalore Development Authority, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and the Lake Development Authority, did nothing to improve the condition,” he added.

Eshwarappa of People's Campaign for Right to Water (PCRW) was baffled to know about the situation. He said that the lakes never had water earlier and now the news about the froth was quite shocking. Putting the blame squarely on the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), he sought to know what its roles and responsibilities were.

Putting it bluntly, Eshwarappa said, “We don't know whether the KSPCB is a living organisation. Had it been alive, it would have acted immediately on the reports about high level of contamination in these water bodies.”

Other lakes

The activist said that he had complained to the KSPCB regarding many other lakes besides the Sarakki and Ele Mallappa Chetty lakes on many occasions, but to no avail. He demanded that the government act immediately and direct all the civic agencies to protect these two lakes. Notices must be served on all the polluters and the water must be tested, he said.