Fire in the lakes run, run ,run !

A lake catching fire makes a good science fiction, but not if you are a resident of Bellandur or Varthur in Bangalore, in recent times Bellandur lake and Varthur lake caught fire owing to untreated sewage and industrial waste runoff into the lakes.

Bangalore was once referred to as the city of lakes, several lakes graced the city across the length and breadth of it, though the lakes were artificial, they played an important role in making the city self-sufficient in its water needs. Water from lakes was supplied directly for irrigation and drinking purposes. Lakes served other needs like fishing and washing and also influenced the microclimate of the city. Fishing, washing, grazing cattle near lakes, collecting leafy vegetables and seeds provided a source of income for many families in the surrounding villages. These lakes which were interconnected played the role of reservoirs for rainwater which flowed into lakes at the bottom. They help recharge the groundwater along with sustaining the flora and fauna in its ecosystem. The city today is far from its reminiscent best with only a few lakes left which are not fit for bathing or drinking, plenty disappeared and the rest on "ventilator".

The disappearance of lakes is due to rapid urbanization leading to filling up of lakes for construction projects. Today's Gandhi bazaar, Majestic bus stand, KR market, golf course were all beautiful and thriving lakes once.

Bangalore has witnessed an exponential increase in population, it being popular as the Silicon Valley of India, which is an IT hub, some of the world's major IT corporations operate from this city, the city is also referred to as the startup capital of India, however, some of the planning dynamics have been still medieval.

Improper implementation of waste management rules has led to heaps of waste being dumped into the lakes. Untreated sewage, industrial waste, detergents along other chemicals are leading to froth and fire problems in lakes. Bangalore generates over 1400 MLD (Million Litres per Day) of raw sewage but is only equipped to treat 40% of it, the rest 60% of untreated sewage find their calling in the lakes through the stormwater drain system. The oils can form an insoluble layer on the water's surface, making it highly flammable and thus the incidents of repeated fire on lakes is no surprise.

Now coming to who is directly or indirectly responsible for the mess, to begin with, BWSSB takes the lion's share of the blame for its inability to manage sewage in the city. BDA too abdicated its responsibility to fence the lakes. A CAG report in 2015 has blamed the Lake Development Authority for its inability to restore and conserve Bellandur lake, despite the allocation of funds and not to lay all the blame at the doorstep of Government authorities, unmindful of the laws, people have encroached on the lake land and stormwater drains adding to the trouble. Though constructing a sewage treatment plant is a must for all apartments, many of the apartments in the catchment areas of the drains that lead to the lake have no STPs.

A report by IISc Professor T V Ramachandra and team titled "Pathetic status of wetlands in Bengaluru '' offers some solutions to control the 'Varthur – Bellandur – Yamalur' fiasco. The report bats for a single agency with statutory and financial autonomy to be the custodian of natural resources (ownership, regular maintenance, and action against polluters), a suggestion for the removal of encroachment has been made as well. There is an imminent need to augment the capacity of the sewage treatment plants, but there is a need for immediate intervention of alternative types of detergents. The use of sodium tripolyphosphate (which leads to an excess of phosphate) in detergents must be reduced and non-phosphate alternatives must be promoted instead, one such substitute can be sodium aluminium silicate or even bio enzymes that can be environmentally friendly. There is also a need to ensure construction permits are provided adhering to stringent protocols so that they do not encroach lakes.

All in all, there is a paradigm shift in the way the lakes have to be treated moving forward, it requires synergy among different government agencies, backed up with well-directed policies, rules, and regulations, and also a conscious citizen will help the cause. We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them, while the 'fire on the mountain run, run ,run' made a good kindergarten rhyme, but today's fire in the lakes paints a grim reality.