BENGALURU: Of the nearly 800 lakes coming under BBMP (Greater Bengaluru) and Bengaluru Urban district areas, as many as 125 have gone dry, exposing the severity of the summer this year and 25 more BBMP lakes are heading in that direction, with only a good spell of rain in the next two weeks could save them.
Of the 125 dried-up lakes, 100 are in Bengaluru Urban district and 25 in BBMP limits. Some of the lakebeds have overnight become cricket pitches for local boys and youngsters to exploit their sporting skills, according to BBMP officials. There are 184 lakes in BBMP’s custody, of them 50 are in dire straits. Bengaluru Urban district has over 600 lakes beyond the BBMP area, but within their jurisdiction, and nearly 100 of them have dried up this year.
On the bright side, six lakes in Bengaluru Urban district are filled to the brim and 19 are 50%-90% full. “This is largely due to Koramangala-Challaghatta and Hebbal-Nagavara valley projects,” an engineer said.
The dried-up lakes like Nallurahalli Lake, near Whitefield, and Vibhutipura Lake. near HAL, have turned into playgrounds.
The drying up of the waterbodies could impact the groundwater table and hinder fishing activities. However, officials hope last week’s rain will persist and the dry and drying lakes could return to life, quoting rain forecast. The 184 BBMP lakes do not include 19 waterbodies in disuse. Sankey Tank in the heart of Bengaluru is among the lakes drying up quickly.
“At least 15 lakes are being filled with treated water by BWSSB in the city. BWSSB can fill the lakes near its sewage treatment plants, and there is no alternative way to fill lakes which are farther and they have to depend only on rain,” said an officer.
