Basavanakatte lake in Kengeri hobli, once a vital water body in the area, has now been reduced to a dumpyard of plastic waste.
Lack of conservation efforts by the authorities has left the lake to die a slow death.
Heaps of burnt and unburnt plastic wastes are dumped here illegally, polluting the water body and its surroundings. But the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike authorities and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board seem to be oblivious.
The lake measuring about four acres is situated at Yelchiguppe village near Magadi Road in Kengeri hobli. Some of the researchers working along with Dr N Nandini, Professor, Department of Environment Sciences, Bangalore University, during their field visit to study the lakes within the Palike limits found the Basavanakatte lake in a pathetic state.
“It is indeed shocking. The Basavanakatte lake is a good source of water. But burning the plastic on the lake bed will release hazardous dioxins and biphenyl into the air and the half-burnt plastic waste will pollute the water body,” said Dr N Nandini.
The environmentalists are worried that groundwater too will be contaminated here.
She wondered how the KSPCB accorded permissionfor the industries to dump waste here. When Deccan Herald contacted D R Kumaraswamy, Environment Officer, he said the Board was not aware of the issue and would look into the matter.