Water in Bengaluru lakes unfit for drinking: KSPCB report

BENGALURU: No lake in Bengaluru is suitable for use as a source of drinking water, according to the water quality analysis report by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). The discharge of untreated sewage and industrial effluents into them continues to be the primary causes of the contamination of these water bodies.

There are 105 lakes in Bengaluru, none of which are classified as Class A, B, or C. Out of them, 65 lakes are Class D, and 36 are Class E. Since the other four lakes were dry, it was not possible to take water samples from them. Classes A to E are parameters for determining the water quality. Class A water is suitable for drinking untreated, whereas Class B water is suitable for outdoor bathing. While Class D water could be used for fisheries and wildlife reproduction, Class E lakes’ water is suitable for irrigation.

Bengaluru produces 1458.6 minimal liquid discharge (mld) of sewage per day. An official from KSPCB shared that only 50 per cent of the 1456 mld of sewage that is produced every day in Bengaluru is being treated in sewage treatment plants, so 80 per cent sewage and 20 per cent industrial effluents are the main causes of the lakes’ pollution. The official also added that the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has yet to install underground drainage systems in over 110 villages, therefore the sewage produced in these communities enters lakes.

The Bengaluru Urban District Environment Plan has proposed that urban local bodies must make sure that wastewater-carrying drains do not merge with water bodies, which was posted on the Karnataka government website on August 31. These actions must be performed by March 31, 2023.