Bengaluru’s Kundalahalli lake near Whitefield was under threat due to the dumping of waste in its vicinity, but thanks to a unique initiative by the civic authorities and some concerned citizens, the water body may now be saved.
In a bid to save Bengaluru’s dying water bodies, the officials of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have now dug deep trenches around the 30.50 acre lake. These trenches are 20-feet-long and four-feet-wide, and have stopped trucks from entering and dumping waste near the land adjoining the lake.
The Chief Engineer (Lakes) of the civic body, B.V. Satish, said the BBMP decided to dig trenches after failing to stop rampant dumping of construction waste.
“We repeatedly asked the tahsildar to ascertain the ownership of the land but got no response. We were left with no other option,” he told The Hindu.
Kundalahalli lake is located near Whitefield which is Bengaluru’s major IT hub. There have been sustained campaigns by citizens as well as several environmental groups based out of the area to save the dying lake.
In February this year, a sewage water treatment plant was installed near the lake after sustained campaigns by Whitefield Rising, a citizen-action based group in collaboration with Qualcomm India’s CSR initiative, reports DNA.
Presently, two home guards have also been deployed on a temporary basis to look after the area in the day. However, since most of the garbage dumping happens at night, the authorities are yet to find a permanent solution.
Here is a video by Whitfield Rising which is a part of the project to revive the lake :