Thousands of dead fish could be seen heaped up at the shores of Bengaluru’s Ulsoor lake, situated in the middle of the city, on Monday. The government and the municipal corporation may have announced many measures to clean up the lake but the dead fish tell another story. The reason for the death is not known. Sewage has been flowing into the lake, depleting its oxygen, said V Purushottam, president of a local residents’ group.
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One of the city’s oldest and largest lakes, Ulsoor is a popular spot for picnics and boating. Former chairman of Karnataka Pollution Control Board said the lake is polluted by untreated sewage which flows straight into the lake. Mr Javadekar noted that uncontrolled construction of residential colonies had taken place around the lake leading to the discharge of sewage water into it.
A few years ago, a major drive was made to clear Ulsoor Lake of water hyacinths.
He said several parts of the IT city does not have proper drainage, and the sewage was being released into the lakes, hereby polluting the eco-system.
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The incident comes even as there is a growing concern by environmentalists over polluted lakes, exemplified by the thick froth and flames from the Yamlur lake that caused ripples in the city past year. The periodic water sampling of the lake waters had revealed extremely high amounts of phosphorous and other inorganic chemical compounds.
