Fish kill in Varthur Lake raises concerns

Bengaluru: Varthur lake, which had been showing promising signs of rejuvenation, witnessed a grim spectacle on Tuesday, as thousands of lifeless fish floated on its surface.

While rejuvenation efforts were still underway, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had allowed the inflow of rainwater into the lake. “Rainwater has been collecting in the lake for the last 8-10 days, and the lake was getting rejuvenated naturally as well. However, owing to the breach of the diversion channel which carries sewage, the lake is now contaminated, resulting in fish kill,” said Jagadish Reddy of Varthur Rising.

Disheartened activists acknowledge that the contamination threatens to undermine years of hard work put into the rejuvenation process. Reddy emphasised the necessity of restarting the rejuvenation efforts in light of the lake's compromised condition. "All the progress achieved over the years has been tarnished," he added.

Concerns regarding the cause of the breach have arisen among those who visited the site. Speculations point to either the water tanker mafia or encroachers responsible for illegal construction in the buffer zone as potential culprits behind the breach.

Reports indicate that the BDA, which had been overseeing the rejuvenation efforts, has promptly filed a complaint with the police in response to the incident.

A major operation was launched on Wednesday to remove approximately 25,000 dead fish from the lake's surface, with many more lifeless specimens still afloat.

A major operation was launched on Wednesday to remove approximately 25000 dead fish from the lake