Fish kill in Kommaghatta lake again

Residents have made several requests to civic agencies to clean or rejuvenate the lake

Hundreds of dead fish were found floating in Kommaghatta lake, near Kengeri, much to the dismay of residents and environmental activists who expressed worry about the health of the lake and its ecology.

Residents around the 37-acre lake claim that fish kill in the water body had occurred many times in the past. They alleged that despite repeated requests to agencies to clean or rejuvenate the lake, no improvement has been made.

D.S. Gowda., president of Visvesvaraya Layout Welfare Association, located near the lake, recalled a time when people would swim in the lake. “That was 15 years ago. Regular dumping of waste, and inflow of sewage and industrial effluents in the past decade had almost killed the lake. We took the matter to the State Level Committee of the National Green Tribunal where the BDA had requested the BWSSB to build an STP near the lake. The BWSSB had prepared a DPR but there has been no action since then,” he alleged.

Panchakshari K.S., member of the Sukikere Gram Panchayat, said that to control pollution in the lake, they had used aluminium sulfate (alum) quite a few times as a temporary measure. “We have repeatedly approached the departments concerned to stop sewage inflow. It is beyond our capacity to rejuvenate it,” he said.

A BDA engineer told The Hindu that they had prepared an action plan to divert sewage entering the lake. “We will take up the issue with senior officials and start diversion work as soon as possible,” the engineer said.