Fouling up more lakes

Launched amidst fanfare to solve the Bellandur Lake crisis, the Koramangala-Challaghatta (KC) Valley project has turned into a nightmare for the residents of Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru rural districts, who receive the “treated” water. The plant was launched after the National Green Tribunal pulled up the Karnataka government for its poor handling of the Bellandur Lake issue.

Residents and farmers of Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru rural districts allege that the sewage treatment plant is not functioning to its full capacity and the water flowing out of it is still polluted.

“Groundwater levels in Kolar borewells go down to 1,500-1,800 ft. The water from the borewells is being consumed without purification. If the lake water is polluted, we can attempt to rejuvenate it, but reviving polluted groundwater is a tedious task.

The consumptions of groundwater causes many diseases like dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis and muscle problems, and secondary treated water is only going to make matters worse” says KC Santhosh, a 38-year-old farmer in Kolar district. Kolar was, once, a city of lakes. About 70% of the people in Kolar are farmers, many of them wholesale distributors of vegetables.

“Water from KC Valley Project has already reached three lakes in Kolar and the next one is Narasapura Lake. Lakshmi Sagara Lake is the first lake to get this processed water, and there is a stark difference in the condition of the water after being processed. Bellandur Lake is known to be extremely polluted, and the government was planning on sending that water to us through pipes.”

44-year old VK Rajesh of Neeravari Horata Samiti, which has filed a PIL on the KC Valley Project, says, “We filed the PIL because this water is destroying our crops, which are being attacked by viruses, but scientists from the government board say that the water is not the reason for the virus attack. We know for a fact that this water cannot be used for irrigation. Crops like eggplant, beans, bottle gourd are being attacked by viruses. All we ask for is proper quality and quantity of water.”

When the PIL came up before the court, the judge issued an emergency notice to the chief secretary, the BWSSB and the pollution control board.

Rajesh adds that the STP set up in Bellandur and Varthur must conduct a tertiary treatment of the water before sending it to the 130 lakes in and around Kolar and Chikkaballapur areas. “This water is also affecting the groundwater that we have been drinking from wells for ages. It now has all kinds of chemicals, such as nitrates and chlorine, which are harming our health.” A farmers’ committee plans to file another PIL.

The government seems to be on the defensive. BWSSB Chairman Tushar Girinath says, “Yes, the water we are sending is as good or bad as river water. We have only been doing secondary treatment until now, but I see the need for tertiary treatment as well. Secondary treatment is sufficient for lakes but not for usage. This water cannot be used directly. 350 MLD of water will be sent to Kolar and the remaining will be used for industrial purpose. We will have to wait and see what happens next.”

The KC Valley Project is said to cost around Rs. 1,380 crore. The government needs another Rs 400 crore to pump the water. The project is expected to be completed by 2020.

Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara says that preserving Bengaluru’s lakes and the water resources of the state are critically important issues. “We are working on a war-footing to ensure this. As a first step, we will look at bringing about a 100% plastic ban in Bengaluru city. We are working with legislators, civil society organisations and experts to solve this problem,” he says.

Energy from waste

To deal with pollution and garbage disposal issues, the government is looking at setting up two “waste-to-energy” units. Parameshwara adds that these units will convert waste generated by the city into viable energy. “We will implement two in the city on trial basis and then expand it to six other garbage treatment centres,” he adds.

The state government has set up seven waste processing plants at a cost of Rs 450 crore. In addition, the government plans to set up waste-to-energy plants to solve the crisis. The government and the BBMP are also studying the amount of money spent by different bodies on solid waste management to come out with a suitable solution to the crisis, as well as to reduce the money spent.

Water expert S Vishwanath says, “We cannot say whether the water is contaminated or not without scientifically testing it. We need to do expert research on it and then come to the conclusion if the water is good enough for use.” He suggests that the government should carry out intensive research on the water. The success of this project is expected to be a boon to farmers.

“As long as the monitoring system is in place, there should not be any problem. The government should build wet lines inside the pipes that will help to keep the water clean, which will make it possible to use that water,” Vishwanath adds.

Even as the state continues to grapple with acute water crisis, the government seems to be dragging its foot when it comes to solving the issue. While the STP to treat Bellandur Lake water was meant to resolve the issue, it looks like it has only added to the problems arising out of it.

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(The writer is a member of The NewsCart, a Bengaluru-based media start-up)