Dead fish at Rampura Lake.
Credit: Special Arrangment
Bengaluru: Hundreds of dead fish were found floating in two prominent lakes in eastern Bengaluru's KR Puram on Sunday, drawing attention to the continued discharge of untreated sewage into the city’s waterbodies.
The fishkill incidents were reported in Basavanapura and Rampura lakes.
Local residents and environmental activists claim that untreated sewage from Hebbal and parts of northeastern Bengaluru is being released into these lakes, raising significant health concerns. They argue that the large-scale fish deaths are a result of poor accountability and the failure of authorities to protect the city's waterbodies.
Rampura Lake, also known as Huvinane Lake or Margondanahalli Lake, is currently undergoing a long-delayed revival effort, which began about four years ago.
Tangadurai, a resident of Kalkere-Channasandra, said that for two years, authorities worked on removing silt from the lake, but later abandoned the project. “Untreated water from the sewage treatment plant (STP) has now entered the lake, killing thousands of fish,” he said.
"The surrounding area was already in a bad condition, with the lake becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes and pollutants. The untreated sewage has made it worse, spreading a foul odour around the locality,” he further added.
Vijaykumar Haridas, Chief Engineer (Lakes) at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), blamed the fish kill on the ongoing work by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to set up an STP at the lake.
However, Channabasavaiah, Executive Engineer (East-2) at the BWSSB, attributed the sewage inflow to the heavy rains, which caused sewage to enter the STP’s diversion channel.
Lake conservationist Raghavendra B Pachhapur disputed this, stating that heavy rain alone was not responsible for the sewage overflow from stormwater drains into the lakes. He pointed out that the primary cause of the fish deaths was oxygen depletion in the water due to contamination and toxins being discharged into the lake. "It takes at least three months for contamination to have such an effect, so rain is not the primary cause of the sewage entering the lake,” he explained.
Pachhapur also highlighted the lack of coordination between various government departments in managing Bengaluru’s waterbodies. He called for a more integrated and proactive approach to address the issue.
He added that the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) limits its role to identifying pollutants rather than working in collaboration with the BBMP and the BWSSB, both of whom frequently shift blame instead of taking responsibility for managing the city's lakes.