Requiem for our Puttenahalli Lake

It is with the deepest anguish and helplessness that I write this - our Puttenahalli lake is dying. 

Our lake had clear rippling water a few months ago. Surrounded with lush vegetation, it had become a rich ecosystem and home to several species of birds. It was the walkers’ delight, venue for our year round environment awareness programmes for the community. All these may cease to exist.  

24th April 2019

As our long time associates, donors, volunteers, child participants and residents, we owe it to you to explain why and how a lake that was a model for others in the city should suddenly be in such dire straits. Hence this detailed mail:

Simply put, raw sewage from Nataraja Layout is killing our lovely lake. A year or so ago when it was still a trickle we had alerted BWSSB, BBMP and KSPCB. See update on sewage situation May 2019.  On 3^rd June 2019, the residents of Nataraja Layout got fed up of the underground drain constantly overflowing onto the road. They opened up the drain to direct the sewage into our lake. Raw sewage began to gush into the wetland. 

16th Jun 2019, lull before the storm, sewage restricted to the wetland

We raised a red alert with the authorities. The Chief Engineer, Waste Water Management, BWSSB informed us that they had completed the procedure to replace the existing drain with a bigger one and issued a work contract. However, this had been stalled because the underground drain from Nataraja Layout  enters the lake premises below the walking track on the south east. The encroachers on the lake bund have built their houses and shops right along the length of the pathway.

As you are already aware, these encroachers had filed a writ petition in the High Court of Karnataka seeking for sites to be allocated to them, and not be disturbed from the lake bund in the meantime. On 7th March 2019, the Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka disposed of the Writ Petition filed by the encroachers with a directive to Principal Secretary (Revenue), Deputy Commissioner (Urban) and the Karnataka Slum Development Board that "Respondent Nos.1 to 3 shall take a decision on the representations of the petitioners in accordance with law in an expedite manner in any event, not later than twelve weeks from the date of receipt of the certified copy of the order. The petitioners shall not be evicted from the property in question till the decision is taken by respondent Nos.1 to 3.”  Closure of WP

We had personally handed over a certified copy of the judgement on 22^nd March 2019 to the Respondents. Since then, we had followed it up with reminders (letters, emails, whatsapp messages) and personal meetings with them or their senior officers. We apprised them of the sewage situation and urged them to take an early decision.

The Principal Secretary (Revenue) called for a meeting a day before the 12 week time granted by the High Court was to come to an end.  At this meeting on 20th June, it was decided that the Slum Board should take a decision in this regard. 

On 4^th July, we met the Commissioner, Karnataka Slum Development Board who said that their role is restricted to recognised slums and the one on our lake bund is not a "Recognised Slum". They are encroachers and that the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority would be able to get them relocated. He spoke to the Deputy Secretary, KTCDA and instructed his Assistant Engineer to meet the DS (Deputy Secretary) at Vikasa Soudha after 3 p.m. that day. We insisted on accompanying the AE and met the DS who said he would write to the Revenue Dept. to remove the encroachers from the lake bund. The wheel had turned a full circle! 

The  Deputy Secretary, KTCDA  asked the AE to give a letter from the Commissioner, Slum Board stating the facts. He had wanted this letter to be given without delay. However, even after two weeks, the Slum Board is yet to do so.

The court deadline of 21^st June has passed. One of the Respondents had told us bluntly, “No one wants to bell the cat.” This is the last nail on the coffin.

The quantum of sewage is such that it is now flowing over the wetland bund into the main lake. Our Artificial Floating Islands have long been rendered useless. The treated water from South City and the fountain we installed this April are fighting a losing battle. Nevertheless, BBMP (Lakes) and BWSSB are trying to find alternate solutions to divert the sewage. Even if they come with any, we fear, it would be too late for our Puttenahalli Lake.

18th Jul 2019, sewage gushing

18th Jul 2019, sewage overflowing from wetland into main lake

The average of samples taken from five different points and the reading in the wetland (where the sewage enters the lake) for January and June 2019 highlight the deterioration in the quality of the water. 

January 2019 

Average: 5.22 mg/lt; 

Wetland: 4.7 mg/lt;

June 2019

Average: 2.9 mg/lt; 

Wetland: 1.7 mg/lt;

Many of you have seen for yourselves the evolution of the lake from a garbage dump to one full of life. As our partner, you know that this transformation had taken us several years to achieve. Its degradation is swift. 

If the sewage inflow is not stopped immediately, Puttenahalli lake may soon become one more lake in Bengaluru killed as much by government apathy as by the pollutants.  

In sorrow, helplessness and anger,

Usha

Sewage is killing our lake

Ever since March 2018 sewage has been entering our Puttenahalli Puttakere from two places, one from the underground drain in Nataraja layout and the other from an unknown source in the southern side. It had led to a massive fish kill (read about it here). We immediately alerted the BWSSB and informed the Fisheries Dept and the BBMP (Lakes).  

Then and subsequently, the BWSSB local office would get a jetting machine to remove the blockage in the drain at Nataraja layout but were unable to trace the source of the sewage from the south east side. We escalated the issue and, in June 2018, met the three top officials at the BWSSB - the Chairman, Engineer-in-Chief and the Chief Engineer, Waste Water Management (all of them have been CCed).  Nevertheless, sewage continued to flow into the wetland and seeped into the main body of the lake.  

With the water steadily turning green, we installed a fountain last month. When the body is pumped with poison, how will a paracetamol help? 

Wetland, 8-Apr-2019

Rain water and green water, May 2019

In desperation, we met the Chairman, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Mr. Jairam who fixed a meeting on 8th May with officials from the Jayanagar ward office of BWSSB. We were invited to attend as well. No one from BWSSB turned up for this meeting!

The rain over the past fortnight was heavy enough to break the wall of one of the silt traps in the wetland. Now all the plastic, paper and other solid waste come in as well. BBMP cannot rebuild the wall till the rain ceases. With the level increasing in the wetland and threatening to overflow, they tried to help by introducing Bokashi balls. We don't know how well this will work but with the sewage coming in as well, even a magic potion may well be useless. 

Our lake is now full of sewage. All our work over the past nine years to nurture the lake have been completely undone - thanks to BWSSB. 

Waste weir, 12-May-2019

Wetland, 14-May-2019

We were this close to simply giving it all up but last week the BBMP (Lakes) sent workers to clean the wetland. Also, Mr. Mahendra from the regional office of KSPCB  brought Mr. Hemanth Kumar of BWSSB for a site inspection. Mr. Hemanth said they would lay a bigger drain pipe but that it would take time. How long? Who knows! Till then we have no alternative but to wait and watch the lake suffer, along with it all the fish and terrapins, not to mention the birds and other aquatic life forms.

We fervently hope the BWSSB will take serious note of the plight of our Puttakere and act swiftly at least now. 

With Success Comes Responsibility

A dry for years lake finally looks like a proper water body. Ever since we took up the cause of Puttenahalli Lake over seven years ago, this had been one of our goals - to see the entire  lake bed submerged. After a heavy downpour the previous evening, we saw just this. A marvellous sight on on World Environment Day, Sunday 5th June. From one end to the other, from this side to that, there's water, water everywhere at Puttenahalli Lake! 

20th May 2014

6th June 2015

For over a year, excess treated waste water from the STP at South City Apartment Complex is being discharged into the lake. This has percolated and saturated thoroughly the earth below before showing up on the surface. The rain water added to this increasing the level to an unprecedented height. 

While we were taking it all in, total strangers came up to us and expressed their delight. We were elated but what ran in our heads was a new concern, a new challenge - how do we keep the water clean? 

We need to pluck out new shoots of the the alligator weed from the water. Remove at once the plastic bags of Puja offerings and bottles that the insensitive manage to fling over the grill before our guys can stop them.  Yellappa, the fisherman, we had engaged to remove the invasive weeds in April is unable to get workers willing to work in the cold water. By the time the water warms up, would the weeds have grown wild once again? Or will the fish that are thriving, indeed jumping in and out of the water merrily, eat the young shoots quickly enough?

6th June 2016

The rain did not only fill the lake. It also dissolved the nutrients in the water. Unfortunately, on 27th May a sewage chamber on Nataraja Layout had collapsed and the contents had gone straight into the lake gathering along the way all the plastic and trash in the drain. Fortunately, they were contained within the wetland. We had contacted BWSSB immediately and JE Mr. Nagaraj attended to it. By the time he got it repaired, however, sewage had been flooding the wetland for four days and nights. We hoped that the heavy rains over the next few days would dilute the sewage and reduce the damage it can do to the quality of the water. But with the increased level the trash floated higher and higher. The boulders forming the wetland is about seven feet high but now at some points it is less than half a foot above the water.

To make matters worse, the sewage chamber collapsed once again on the night of 5th June! The heavy traffic had not allowed the fresh cement on the new manhole to cure properly. People had removed the obstacles placed on the road and gone over the manhole cover breaking it. As if this is not enough, according to BWSSB Nagaraj, people living on either side of the road diverted the rain water from their homes into the sewage line adding to the load. He got it repaired yet again but this time we were wiser. One of our well wishers, Srinivas Alavilli spoke to the Hulimavu traffic police and got a man posted to divert traffic, With this, we hope that we have solved at least one problem, for the present. 

Now to tackle the danger of the muck flowing over the stones of the wetland into the main lake which we had got cleaned in April with such difficulty. BWSSB was unable to get workers at such short notice. Nor could BBMP. Our two gardeners came to the rescue. Together with the BBMP contractor's man assigned to our lake, Jayanna and Ramu entered the stinky cesspool in a coracle and using long handled rakes pushed the floating garbage to a side from where they brought it out of the water. We paid them for this of course but it was hardly any compensation for the relief it gave us. We'd managed to prevent the bulk of the plastic waste from polluting the lake. Truly, with success comes greater responsibility. 

Sewage overflowing on the road

Trash in wetland

Trash removed from wetland

In our lake chronicles, this is the "low" of having water in the lake. Look out for the exciting "highs" soon to follow!

Usha