Residents are having a harrowing time at Chinnappanahalli lake near Marathalli due to the foul smell from the dead fish floating on the lake.
Sonu Goyal, a resident says, “There are around three to four garages around the periphery of the lake which dump their waste nearby. When it rains, the waste seeps into the lake, killing the acquatic life.”
Another reason for the fishkill, according to Goyal, is the encroachment by buildings around the lake. “Dumping happens around the lake and also the buildings nearby have been trying to encroach the land for a while now.
Recently, a JCB brought down the fence around the lake but BBMP officials swooped in and prevented encroachment.”
BBMP officials said that they were doing their best to keep the lake clean and blamed the The Karnataka Fisheries Department for giving out fishing rights to people.
BBMP chief engineer B V Satish said, “We cannot be blamed every time something happens to the lakes. We try our best to maintain them but the other departments need to help as well.”
DH News Service
Cleaning done every day, but sewage also dumped
Prabhashankar Rai, whose trust, Chinnappanahalli Lake Development Trust, has been maintaining the lake for the past five years, said the lakes were cleaned every day. But the Lake Development Authority’s inefficieny and poor planning by BWSSB have led to this mess. “We have around five employees who clean the lake every day, but sewage is still being let in.”
Rai has also blamed the Fisheries Department for handing out fishing rights at nominal rates which is leading to dwindling fish numbers, “The Fisheries Department has handed fishing rights to people at rates as low as Rs 360 per annum to people who are well off. I have tried talking them into saving the lake ecosystem but they have threatened me a couple of times. Illegal activities also take place here.”
“There was also an encroachment on June 2, but the BBMP officials prevented it. This is a huge problem sometimes as I have to spend money on keeping the lake clean as well as face all the risks. I plan on quit this year end,”said Rai.
The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and BWSSB were not reachable for a comment.