Ready for summer wars | | | Indian Express

Ready for summer wars | | | Indian Express

Ready for summer wars

Sharan Poovanna

First Published : 11 Mar 2010 05:37:00 AM IST

Last Updated : 11 Mar 2010 08:37:20 AM IST

BANGALORE: The ‘summer of discontent’ that the city has braced itself for may in reality ease a bit, with the reviving of major lakes to act as reserves for usable water.

A few good spells of rain in the city could fill the eight lakes that have been desilted by and bring relief to the people, besides helping recharge groundwater.

Attur, Alalsandra, Panathur, Arikere, Uttarahalli, Chinnappahalli, Kaikondanahalli and several other lakes have been desilted and many more will be desilted in the days to come, said BBMP officials.

“A total of 17 lakes will be desilted by BBMP and 12 by BDA,” they said. With water supply being affected, this project will ease the problems of Bangaloreans, they said.

The sewage water which enters the lakes from the inlets will now be diverted to ensure that there is only fresh water in the lakes, officials said.

“We have provided separate channels from the inlets to the outlets so that sewage does not enter the lakes,” they said.

Thus the possibility of lakes becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other waterborne diseases is eliminated, BBMP officials said.

The BBMP has recovered nearly 50 acres of encroachments on these lakes in the first phase under which 17 lakes are being revived. The recovered lands are now being properly fenced to ensure that encroachments do not take place again, they said.

BBMP authorities will partner with local resident associations to help maintain lakes which were hitherto neglected, to maintain the cleanliness and deter encroachers, they said.