Mysore/Mysuru: In response to a petition by the Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP), Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has formally written to the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner, urging immediate action to stop sewage inflow into Kukkarahalli Lake.

On April 19, 2025, following MGP’s appeal, water samples were collected from various inflow points to the lake, including near Paduvarahalli along Mysuru-Hunsur Road, near Rangayana and within the UGC Academic Staff Training Centre premises.

Testing revealed that the water from these locations falls under Category D, indicating significant contamination. Additional samples taken from the boating point area and from the junction where Poornaiah Canal enters the lake near the pumphouse were classified as Category C, reflecting moderate pollution levels.

As per National Water Quality Guidelines, based on its suitability for various uses, surface water is categorised as follows:

Class A – Fit for drinking after disinfection, without conventional treatment; Class B – Suitable for bathing; Class C – Suitable as a drinking water source after conventional treatment and disinfection; Class D – Suitable for aquatic and wildlife; Class E – Reserved for industrial cooling, controlled waste disposal and agricultural use.

Analysis of samples from Kukkarahalli Lake shows that its water quality frequently falls into Class C or Class D, signifying increasing levels of pollution. This deterioration is primarily due to untreated wastewater entering the lake from multiple sources.