A section of residents living near Subedeharana Lake in Begur has opposed the dumping of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste around the water body. Locals say that the waste, in large amounts, is being dumped in the buffer zone of the lake by a private contractor, posing the risk of encroachment.
“C&D waste in large quantities has been dumped around the lake for many days now. We reached out to Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) Lake department and highlighted the issue. After that, officials sent a notice to the contractor, asking them to stop the activity immediately. However, it has continued, and the land around the lake is being filled fast with debris,” said a resident of the area.
When Bangalore Mirror contacted BBMP’s Lake Department, officials acknowledged receiving the complaint.
“We are aware of the situation, and we sent a notice to the contractor as well. However, since the buffer zone of any waterbody is out of our purview, we could not take the matter forward.
We have informed the zonal engineer of BBMP about the situation, and required action will be taken soon,” said the official.
According to Poongothai Paramasivam, a resident and member of the Bengaluru Navanirman Party, there is a lack of clarity on the current lake boundary. While the waterbody has been fenced by the BBMP, it extends beyond the fence, leading to confusion.
“There is no clarity on the extent of the lake. The current fence runs through the lake, providing an opportunity for land grabbers. We have raised concerns regarding the current lake boundary as well,” said Paramasivam.
BBMP officials say the lake boundary was fixed a few years ago through a survey. However, the lake is receiving a lot of sewage from nearby residential apartments, leading to the maximum water level and thus the overflow.
“Apartment complexes in the area are releasing sewage water into the lake; thus, it has reached the maximum water level and is passing through adjacent private land. While the fencing was done after a survey, we have decided to resurvey the lake again. Regarding sewage entry, we have written to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board for necessary action against the offenders,” said the official.
