Toxic Foam From Bellandur Lake Reaches Kolar; Activists Threaten To Send Sewage Water To MLAs

One of Bengaluru's persistent headaches- the toxic foam spitting Bellandur Lake, is now making lives of people from the neighbouring areas difficult.

"Treated" water from Bengaluru lakes have now reached Kolar as part of? the Koramangala-Challaghatta Valley (KC Valley) project, which aims to fill tanks of Kolar district with treated water.

Last week, after the water from sewage treatment plants in Bellandur was released to the tanks, the toxic foam have reached Lakshmi Sagara lake in Kolar district.

The Rs 1,300 crore project which was meant to recharge groundwater in the depleted aquifers of Kolar, has instead now turned the existing water source toxic.?

BCCL

Since, the foam covered water was first reported on Wednesday, the minor irrigation department has stopped the supply. They claimed that they have been pumping clean water till now and that the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board that treats the water in its treatment plants is responsible for quality.

When the project was being planned, the locals were doubtful about this problem.

Now that their worst fears have come true, locals have threatened to make their legislators get a first-hand feel of the foam. The threat came even as the authorities stopped releasing “treated sewage water”, and inlets from pipelines to Kolar tanks were blocked.

Kurubarapet Venkatesh, a local leader said that they have decided to send one tanker each of froth-filled water to the houses of legislators of Kolar district.

“Legislators of Kolar district should openly oppose the project that has brought froth-filled water into our tanks. Otherwise, the same water will be collected in tankers and delivered to their houses,” Venkatesh said.

BCCL

They also pointed out that Bengaluru will be the ultimate loser if water of Kolar turns toxic as the district along with Chikkaballapur supply most of the vegetables across the State, and more than half of it goes to Bengaluru.?