Bengaluru: Kengeri Lake, which had recently dried up because of the lack of rainfall in the city, has come back to life after Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) filled it with treated water. It is among the 15 lakes that have been replenished with treated water in the city. Now, BWSSB plans to fill five more lakes. It has erected signboards near these lakes to warn the public not to use the water for drinking purpose.
A signboard at Kengeri Lake reads: “BWSSB tertiary treated wastewater is filled to (sic) Kengeri Lake, not to be used for drinking, swimming, washing purpose.” “We have a plan to fill 20 lakes with treated water and have already filled 15 of them. We’re ready to fill five more lakes. We need permission from the election commission to start filling these five lakes, as the code of conduct is in force. Hence, we wrote a letter asking for permission. We’ll start filling the five lakes soon after we get permission,” said BWSSB chairman Ram Prasath Manohar
BWSSB officials mentioned that they have filled Jakkur Lake, Horamavu Agara Lake, Doddabommasandra Lake, Kengeri Lake, Nagarabhavi Lake, Yelahanka Lake, Puttenahalli Lake, and a few others situated near the water utility’s wastewater treatment plants.
According to BBMP officials, there are 184 lakes under its custody, excluding 19 disused ones. More than 35 of the lakes have dried up. “A few lakes were filled with treated water by BWSSB, and the remaining lakes have water only up to 30% of their storage capacity. At least 10-20 lakes will dry up within a few weeks if the city doesn’t receive rain soon,” said a senior police officer. According to BBMP sources, nearly 50% of borewells in the city have run dry, mainly because of lack of water in lakes and rain shortage.
