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Why is the Bellandur Lake Dead?

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psaram42 - 16 June, 2009 | Bangalore | lakes | Citizen Reports | sewerage | waste water treatment | Bellandur Lake

There are 20 storms cum sewage water inlets feeding polluted water into the Bellandur Lake in total. Out of this only one inlet namely Koramangala Challaghatta (KC) valley inlet water is being treated before discharging into the Lake.

 There are two KC Valley Sewage Water Treatment Plants at Belur Nagasandra in Bangalore. The capacities are 216 and 30 MLD a total of 246 MLD. Lok Adakat is interacting at some stage with these Plants. Government of Karnataka is spending rupees 5 million per month on the above two treatment plants. Bangalore citizens are using about 100 lpcd (Liters per day per capita) water.

 The KC valley inlet storm water drain is 2.75 KM long. The water is pumped to the treatment plant on arrival. The water is treated in following various stages:- 

  1. Non biodegradable items like plastics are removed by suitable mesh sieves. This plastic waste is given out to external agencies for recycling.
  2. inorganic items or grit is separated
  3. Aeration plant removes Nitrogen. Provides oxygen and food for bacteria. This is known as biological treatment.
  4. At Thickening tank the Bio mass in the water is thickened. Clear water is collected and fed to a collector tank and sent to Bellandur Lake through a pipe.
  5. The thickened bio waste goes to another tank for removing some more water.
  6. The waste bio mass is dried in drying beds, a total of about 200 beds are available
  7. The waste is lifted by contract trucks.

 I have no idea at this juncture about the adequacy or otherwise of this plant as far as its technology or standards. However the important point to be noted is that out of 20 inlets, only one inlet water is treated before discharging the same into the Lake. It is no surprise that Bellandur Lake is a dead Lake, because of high Nitrogen content. 


                   218 MLD Water treatment Plant                                                                Image0070

    1) Way to The 218 MLD Water Treatment Plant.                   2) The 30 MLD Plant Building

COMMENTS

Green belt along lake shores

idontspam - 20 June, 2009 - 07:43

 BBMP has issued a tender for the same

Sweet.. hope it includes a green belt on the inside of the fence along the shore. 

Hebbal lake has a nice green belt from the ring road side and the far end. Hope it is retained that way. Its just got too much hyacinth though.

§§§ Tweetenator

How many plants have been added?

mandayamr - 19 June, 2009 - 08:27

Some questions that could tell us why this lake is dead.

1. By how much has Bangalore's population increased in the last 40 years.  Take 1970, 1980, 2000 and projected 2010 data.
2. How much sewarage was being generated (estimates) for the same period?
3. There will be a water treatment capacity figure with the BWSSB.  What was it in 1970.... 2010.
4. How many additional water treatment plants have been added by the BWSSB in and around Bangalore?


Lipservice treatment

idontspam - 19 June, 2009 - 10:24

PSA, very telling statistics indeed. Only 1 out of 20 inets treated. This is called lip service. Good work. We need to question why this is so. Any idea who we call or meet?

There has to be a green belt around all lakes which is very clearly demarcated by chain link fencing. In our country if we dont fence we dont have a border. Such beautiful lakes in Europe make me feel sad on the state of our affairs.

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chain link fence the all of belandur kere

Public Agenda - 19 June, 2009 - 19:22

 

BBMP has issued a tender for the same

Now that BWSSB has just supplied water to belandur without any fanfare and ribbon cutting

hopefully the sewerage will be diverted

basically STP's are abig business for industrial water which BWSSB wants to sell at Rs 60 /kl

and so many will come up all privately run by SUEZ, DEGREMONT VEolia and Thames water

 

 

Psaram - Great Research

Naveen - 25 July, 2009 - 15:56

I went thro' the various lake posts that you made - all extremely interesting & informative.

 

My house overlooks Doddanegundi lake - this lake is also half filled with hyacinth now, though the water is clean.
 

 

Fortunately, there isn't any major lakeside road & so, it's condition may be somewhat better than others in the city that are adjacent bigger arterial roads & the reusltant land grab/s.
 

 

 
However, of late, I have noticed a lot of high rises coming up along the periphery & few of them have been issued notices for dumping sewage & waste water.
 

 

 
Our society is working with a few other buildings to rid the lake off hyacinth, but there has been little headway, so far.

Lake Rejuvenation

RKCHARI - 26 July, 2009 - 05:48

Friends,

Lakes, as you all know, is nature's (or man's in case of man made lakes) way of giving lung space and countering the climate change effect. It is our bounden duty to ensure it is not polluted.

If lakes are kept in despicable conditions, we human beings tend to treat it as an extended garbage dump and openly throw more garbage everyday. The only way therefore to "save" these lakes is to make them and their surrounding areas into excellent public recreational outlets where Bangaloreans would be enticed to spend quality time with their families on holidays / week ends.

Technically speaking, all water bodies can be maintained with crystal clear water where water sports like swimming, boating, rowing and surfing can happen and where the surroundings can be so created that it can even give a beach like effect with sand all around and shady nooks.

Sounds idyllic ? Not really. It needs someone in authority to take a bold decision and then we can all see how man can convert a dead lake into a paradise! It does not cost the earth as private enterprise is willing to invest and recover their investment over long periods of time in the form of annual levying of a lump sum, affordable fee on local Municipal Councils.

Why are our elected representatives afraid to take help from Private Sector? Too much breathing down the neck by self righteous NGOs and public at large? Perhaps. So isnt it time we as citizens decided to allow our reps to take bold decisions to spending money more imaginatively?

In Indonesia, during Genral Suharto's rule, Japanese Companies were openly told to pay 10% commission to his party, but by jove the job they had to do in laying roads and parks had jolly well got to be first rate. Why cant we adopt such a stand?

Some food for thought?

RKC

 

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