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Bellandur Lake

Coordinates: 12°56′3″N 77°39′46″E / 12.93417°N 77.66278°E / 12.93417; 77.66278
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Bellandur Lake
  • ಬೆಳ್ಳಂದೂರು ಕೆರ (Kannada)
  • ಯಮಲೂರ ಕೆರೆ (Kannada)
View of Bellandur lake
Location of Bellandur lake within Karnataka
Location of Bellandur lake within Karnataka
Bellandur Lake
Location of Bellandur lake within Karnataka
Location of Bellandur lake within Karnataka
Bellandur Lake
LocationBellandur, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
GroupVarthur Lake Series
Coordinates12°56′3″N 77°39′46″E / 12.93417°N 77.66278°E / 12.93417; 77.66278
TypeLake, aquatic eco-system
Part ofKoramangala-Challaghatta lake system
Primary inflowsDrain inlets - Ejlpura, Agara, Challaghatta, Iblur
Primary outflowsVarthur Lake
Catchment area148–287 km2 (57–111 sq mi)
Max. length3.6 km (2.2 mi)
Max. width1.4 km (0.87 mi)
Surface area812–919 acres (329–372 ha)
Average depth2 m (6 ft 7 in)
Max. depth9 m (30 ft)
Surface elevation870 m (2,850 ft)
SettlementsBegur, Agara, Yemalur, Varthur
References[1][2][3][4]
Map
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Maps: terms of use
6km
4miles
South Pinakini River
South
Pinakini
River
Byappanahalli Lake
Byappanahalli
Challaghatta Lake
Challaghatta
Chinnappanahalli Lake
Chinnappanahalli
Vibhutipura Kere
Vibhutipura
Srinivagilu
Srinivagilu
Konena Agrahara Lake
Konena
Agrahara
Halasuru Lake
Halasuru
Sewage pumping station
STP
STP
STP
Kundalahalli Lake
Kundalahalli
Kaggadasapura Lake
Kaggadasapura
Doddanekundi Lake
Doddanekundi
Haraluru Lake
Haraluru
Kasavanahalli Lake
Kasavanahalli
Kaikondrahalli Lake
Kaikondrahalli
Ambalipura Lake
Madivala Lake
Madiwala
Varthur Lake
Varthur
STP
Saul Kere
Saul
Ambalipura Lake (Lower)
Iblur Lake
Iblur
Bellandur Lake
Bellandur
Agara Lake
Agara
Varthur Lake series, a part of the Koramangala-Challaghatta lake system.[5][6][7] Disused/former lakes (yellow) and sewage treatment plants (red) related to the series marked.

Bellandur Lake is located in the suburb of Bellandur in the southeast of the city of Bengaluru. It is the largest lake in the city. It is a part of Bellandur drainage system that drains the southern and the south-eastern parts of the city. The lake is a receptor from three chains of lakes upstream, and has a catchment area of about 148 square kilometres (37,000 acres). Water from this lake flows further east to the Varthur Lake, from where it flows down the plateau and eventually into the Pinakani river basin.[8]

History

Bellandur Lake is believed to be originally a tributary of the Dakshina Pinakini river (also known as the Ponnaiyar River). The lake itself was constructed during the reign of the Western Ganga Dynasty, who ruled between the 4-5th century to the 10th century CE. Evidences of early human settlement have been excavated along the bed of the Bellandur lake by historian PV Krishnamurthy.[9]

Oral recollections of the lake narrate a pristine past.[10] A popular legend associated with the origin of the lake is that of a hungry woman who visited Bellandur village in a time when there was no lake. On being denied food and water, in her anger, she gained the power to cause a destructive flood and create the lake as a reminder of how she was denied help.[10] Old narratives cover village watermen, deities, cultural practices, and attached commons that provided wood and land for grazing.[10]

In the 1940s, the lake was used for landing amphibious aircraft such as the Catalina.[11]

The impact of urbanisation goes back to 1980s when unplanned growth broke the chain of tanks and lakes feeding the Bellandur lake. This reduced the amount of rain water reaching the lake to recharge it. The development also resulted in letting in untreated sewage water from housing societies and using the lake surrounding area to dump solid waste. Even industries from surrounding areas started dumping their waste into the lake.[12][13] The combination of all these factors has resulted in a decrease in living standards for neighboring areas.[8] The presence of industrial chemicals in the water from nearby industrial unites causes the lake surface to catch fire regularly.[14] Froth has been associated with the lake since at least 2003.[11] A complication is that the lake is under multiple civic bodies.[15]

Farmers, activists, local government representatives and residents have been involved in a variety of diverse issues related to the lake, including construction of a road and cleanliness.[16] In 1997, when Bellandur lake was declared unfit for water sports during National Games, was the first time it drew media attention to the issue.[citation needed] The matter has also been taken to court. A PIL in 1999 highlighted the inaction of the government and other government agencies to protect environment and lakes. The High Court ordered the local administration to provide proper sewage network in the city to stop sewage from entering lakes. When the court order was not followed, the petitioners filed a contempt case. The High Court referred the case to Lok Adalat. In 2002, Lok Adalat directed all government departments including BBMP, BDA, BWSSB, Minor Irrigation, KSPCB and Revenue Department to form a committee and look into the status of Bellandur Lake.[16]

In 2000, resident association groups of Koramangala joined in and started lobbying with the government to stop mixing of sewage in storm water drains.[17] Right to Information (RTI) activists, in search of information related to encroachments and dumping, have filed a number of applications related to the lake.[16] Members of the Legislative Assembly have also taken up the issue.[16][17]

Several citizens have formed pressure groups. Efforts have included online petitions and campaigns and use of the social media.[18] In 2015 Kupendra Reddy filed a PIL in the High Court of Karnataka.[19][20] In March 2017, the state government invited experts from the UK and Israel to help resolve environmental issues.[21]

The size of Bellandur lake, the scale of siltation and pollution associated with it, and uncertainty as to what exactly should be done to rejuvenate the lake has resulted in the lake failing to meet expected environmental standards for decades. Proposals such as removal of silt or translocation of sewage have been questioned.[22][23][24] Major efforts include the construction of sewage treatment plants.[25][26]

Bellandur lake has seen frothing in 2015,[27] 2016,[28] 2017,[29] 2018,[30] 2019.[31] In 2015,[32] 2017,[33] 2018,[34] 2021,[35] parts of the lake caught on fire.[36][37] In 2018 parts of the lake were on fire for over 30 hours.[38] In 2022 Bellandur lake was one of a number of lakes which overflowed.[39]

Millions of litres of untreated sewage is deposited in the lakes catchment area every day.[40] In 2017, 2020 and 2021 new sewage water treatment plants were opened in the catchment area of the lake.[41][42][43] There has been a loss in the number of upstream lakes connected to Bellandur Lake.[44] Over the years it has seen failed rejuvenation efforts.[45][46] This includes efforts at rejuvenating the lake without addressing upstream lakes.[47] In 2016 the National Green Tribunal stopped construction near Bellandur Lake and expanded the buffer zone around lakes.[48] This was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2019.[49][50][51]

Hydrology

Bellandur Lake is a major water body which is located in one of the three main valleys of Bengaluru. It forms a part of the Ponnaiyar River catchment, and water from Bellandur flows to Varthur Lake, ultimately joining the Pennar River.

The catchment area, water cover, average depth and maximum depth have all decreased over a number of years.[1][2][3][4]

Sunset over Lake Bellandur

Flora and Fauna

The Bellandur lake was a prominent catchment area with a good green cover and was a watering hole for the region's numerous, indigenous wildlife. But 30 years of unplanned urbanization have taken a toll on the lake, now several species are gone from the area, including kingfishers, parakeets, wood pigeons, kites, cobras, rat snakes, monitor lizards.[52] As more and more large apartment complexes come up on the lakes shores, more such species will disappear.

Currently, most of Bengaluru's treated and untreated sewage is released into Bellandur Lake, severely polluting it, resulting in a depletion of wildlife in and around the lake. Residential and commercial activities in the region have resulted in increasing the silt deposition in the lake and have caused loss of underground water recharge.[53]

References

  1. ^ a b Ramachandra, T. V.; Mahapatra, Durga Madhab; S, Vinay; V, Sincy; K S, Asulabha; Bhat, Sudarshan P.; Aithal, Bharath H. (April 2017), Bellandur and Varthur Lakes Rejuvenation Blueprint, ENVIS Technical Report 116, Energy and Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
  2. ^ a b Joshi, Bharath; Yadav, Umesh (28 April 2017). "Why Bellandur lake clean-up exercise could snap many human linkages". The Economic Times. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b Ramachandra, T. V.; S., Vinay; Aithal, Bharath H. (August 2015), Detrimental Landuse Changes In Agara-Bellandur Wetland, ENVIS Technical Report 95, Energy and Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Centre for infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning
  4. ^ a b Bareuther, Mischa; Klinge, Michael; Buerkert, Andreas (23 November 2020). "Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Algae and Macrophyte Cover in Urban Lakes: A Remote Sensing Analysis of Bellandur and Varthur Wetlands in Bengaluru, India". Remote Sensing. 12 (22): 3843. doi:10.3390/rs12223843. ISSN 2072-4292.
  5. ^ Ramachandra, T. V.; Mahapatra, Durga Madhab; S, Vinay; V, Sincy; K S, Asulabha; Bhat, Sudarshan P.; Aithal, Bharath H. (April 2017), Bellandur and Varthur Lakes Rejuvenation Blueprint, ENVIS Technical Report 116, Energy and Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, retrieved 5 October 2022 See section "Study Area" for Konena Agrahara Lake
  6. ^ "Lake series of Bangalore - Maps and Area - ENVIS (Govt of Karnataka)". India Water Portal. 16 June 2010. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  7. ^ Isaac, Tanya (2020), Bacterial community analysis of seven polluted lakes in Bangalore, India (Thesis), Degree: BSc in Public Health, Tulane University, p. 10
  8. ^ a b "Bellandur Lake". www.RainwaterHarvesting.org. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  9. ^ "Bellandur lake on fire: 10 facts to know about this heritage lake". AsianetNews.tv. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  10. ^ a b c Sen, Amrita; Unnikrishnan, Hita; Nagendra, Harini (16 July 2020). "Imperiled waterscapes: The social-ecological transformation of lakes in Bengaluru". Ecology, Economy and Society–the INSEE Journal. 3 (2). doi:10.37773/ees.v3i2.229. ISSN 2581-6101. S2CID 241442770.
  11. ^ a b Krishnan M., Anantha (2 December 2003). "Bellandur Lake was safe bed for WW-II fighters". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  12. ^ Sengupta, Sushmita; Pallavi, Aparna; Goswami, Subhojit (17 February 2017). "Bellandur Lake: a story of toxic froth and fire". Down to Earth. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  13. ^ "Stop sewage flow into Bellandur Lake: National Green Tribunal". The New Indian Express. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  14. ^ Devlin, Megan; Joseph, Rohit; Mallikarjunan, Prabhu; Majumdar, Romita; Sutton, Tara (28 May 2017). "The urban farmers battling Bangalore's concrete jungle". BBC. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  15. ^ Sengupta, Sushmita (27 May 2015). "Bengaluru's lakes go bad as authorities deny responsibility". Down to Earth. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  16. ^ a b c d Khandekar, Supriya (2 October 2008). "Desperately seeking revival". Citizen Matters, Bengaluru. Retrieved 31 December 2021.[unreliable source?]
  17. ^ a b M, Akshatha (29 October 2015). "All you need to know about Bellandur Lake and its problems". Citizen Matters, Bengaluru. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  18. ^ Srinivasan, Sarayu (6 October 2015). "Why a Bellandur lake campaign by Bengaluru IT employee is picking pace". The News Minute. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  19. ^ "Ready revised plan for Bellandur Lake: HC to agencies". Deccan Herald. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  20. ^ "NGT gets tough over endangered Bellandur". Bangalore Mirror. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  21. ^ Sharma, Maya (25 March 2017). "Bengaluru, Shamed By Frothing Lake, Summons International Help". NDTV. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  22. ^ Menezes, Naveen (13 February 2020). "'Do not desilt, dewater Bellandur, Varthur lakes'". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  23. ^ Chatterjee, Soumya (13 February 2020). "Bellandur lake cleaning: Experts divided over desilting, diverting polluted water". The News Minute. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  24. ^ Kumar, Praveen (3 June 2020). "Ahead of monsoon, desilting begins at Bellandur, Varthur lakes". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  25. ^ Menezes, Naveen (21 April 2021). "This sewage has a new address at Bellandur". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  26. ^ Reporter, Staff (15 May 2017). "Bellandur gets sewage treatment plant". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  27. ^ Ghosh, Debasish (1 October 2015). "Bangalore's lake of toxic foam – in pictures". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  28. ^ "Bengaluru: Residents demand action as toxic froth rises in Varthur, Bellandur lakes again". Scroll.in. 18 December 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  29. ^ "Bengaluru lake froth on streets: Here's what causes the toxic foam and how it is harmful to people". Hindustan Times. 17 August 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  30. ^ Sharma, Maya; Kidwai, Nehal (25 September 2018). Varma, Shylaja (ed.). "In Bengaluru, 10-Foot-High Froth At Bellandur Lake After All-Nighter Rain". NDTV.com. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  31. ^ Banerjee, Niharika, ed. (21 April 2019). "Bengaluru's Bellandur Lake Begins To Froth Once Again". NDTV. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  32. ^ Rao, Mohit M. (16 May 2015). "Fire on Bellandur Lake". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  33. ^ Sengupta, Sushmita; Pallavi, Aparna; Goswami, Subhojit (17 February 2017). "Bellandur Lake: a story of toxic froth and fire". Down to Earth. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  34. ^ Abraham, Mary-Rose (14 February 2018). "Why This Lake Keeps Catching on Fire". National Geographic. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  35. ^ "Fire breaks out at Bengaluru's Bellandur Lake, officials blame it on a burning garbage pile". The Indian Express. 5 March 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  36. ^ "Fire breaks out at Bengaluru's Bellandur Lake, officials blame it on a burning garbage pile". The Indian Express. 5 March 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  37. ^ "Fire Breaks Out At Karnataka's Bellandur Lake". NDTV.com. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  38. ^ Abraham, Mary-Rose (14 February 2018). "Why Bangalore, India's Bellandur Lake Catches Fire: Water Pollution". National Geographic Science. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  39. ^ "Rains in Bengaluru Continue To Wreak Havoc, Bellandur Lake Overflows Into Homes". TheQuint. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  40. ^ Bhasthi, Deepa (1 March 2017). "City of burning lakes: experts fear Bangalore will be uninhabitable by 2025". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  41. ^ Menezes, Naveen (21 April 2021). "This sewage has a new address at Bellandur". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  42. ^ "Bellandur gets sewage treatment plant". The Hindu. 15 May 2017. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  43. ^ "210 MLD sewage pumping station to help rejuvenation of Bellandur, Varthur lakes". The Hindu. 10 September 2020. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  44. ^ Sen, Amrita; Unnikrishnan, Hita; Nagendra, Harini (July 2020). "Imperilled Waterscapes: The Social-Ecological Transformation of Lakes in Bengaluru" (PDF). Ecology, Economy and Society. 3 (2): 131. doi:10.37773/ees.v3i2.229. S2CID 241442770.
  45. ^ Moudgal, Sandeep (26 March 2012). "Sewage water flow stalled Bellandur lake revival: CAG". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  46. ^ Thippaiah 2009, p. 55.
  47. ^ Menezes, Naveen (10 December 2021). "Bengaluru has 75 dirty lakes, but BBMP to develop only 8". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  48. ^ Verma, Rashmi (11 May 2016). "NGT halts construction on wetland between Bengaluru lakes". Down to Earth. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  49. ^ M, Akshatha (6 March 2019). "Realtors cheer as SC overturns NGT order on lake buffer zone". The Economic Times. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  50. ^ "Apex court sets aside NGT order on Bengaluru lakes". Hindustan Times. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  51. ^ Sebastian, Manu (6 March 2019). "SC Sets Aside NGT Order Enlarging Buffer Zones Around Bengaluru Water Bodies; Upholds Penalty Against Two Builders [Read Judgment]". LiveLaw.in. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  52. ^ "Bellandur Lake, Bangalore – A Lake with Lost Beauty". Karnataka.com. 21 April 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  53. ^ "Analyze and highlight Bellandur lake issues - Praja". www.Praja.in. Retrieved 15 January 2018.

Further reading

Thesis
Audiovisual
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