Polluted Doddanekundi lake cries for restoration, but is anyone listening? – Times of India

Bengalurus infamous Bellandur and Varthur lakes have found perfect company in Doddanekundi lake yet another waterbody in Bengaluru plagued by concentrated sewage. The lake is polluted to such an extent that it has resulted in loss of species, as well as major degradation of water quality. The third largest lake in the eastern part of Bengaluru, Doddanekundi is now home to floating trash patches and unbearable stench. But unlike the other lakes that are choking in the city, the plight of this waterbody has remained largely under-reported. Its only a handful of residents and environmentalists, who are raising their concerns about this dying lake. Once a migratory birds paradise, the lake is now a cesspool Until 2016, the lake and its habitat used to be a visual treat for photographers and naturalists alike. Painted stork, pelicans, pied kingfisher, the globally threatened greater spotted eagle and many other migratory birds used to flock to the waterbody in large numbers from season to season, but their counts have dwindled over the years. The presence of birds indicated that the water quality in the lake was better and that there was plenty of fish in it. This was the scene until 2016. Then, slowly, the waterbody started getting polluted with sewage and other pollutants, says Praveen Tangirala, a resident of the area. Spread across an area of 137 acres, various species dwell in the lake and, hence, its restoration is crucial, say experts. A total of 145 species were spotted in and around the lake earlier. Out of these, 39 species were migrant varieties. Similar to the plight of many other lakes in Bengaluru, untreated sewage flowing into this waterbody has possibly resulted in depleting oxygen levels, which is affecting its fish population. One can barely see fish-eating birds like pied kingfisher, common kingfisher and spot-billed pelican around the lake anymore, while the numbers of Indian spot-billed duck and great cormorant have also decreased drastically (from over 50 in 2016-2017 to only 10-15 this year), says birdwatcher Ashwin Vishwanath.

Many blame the local authorities for its poor condition. The aftermath of the shoddy lake rejuvenation work done by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) in 2014 was visible only in 2017, in the form of groundwater degradation, says P Pramod, another local resident and secretary of the Nekkundi Tank Rejuvenation Association (NeTRA). About 2 MLD (million litres per day) of sewage has been flowing into the lake for the past two months, turning it into a cesspool, Pramod complains.

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Polluted Doddanekundi lake cries for restoration, but is anyone listening? - Times of India