• Floating trash barriers used to remove water hyacinth, solid waste, liquor bottles, metal debris
• DC directs MCC Commissioner to prepare estimate for Sewage Treatment Plant as solution

Mysuru: The Mysuru District Administration has finally begun cleaning the choked Hebbal Lake, with the Hootagalli City Municipal Council (CMC) undertaking the task on a day-to-day basis.

The 54-acre Hebbal Lake on Mysuru’s outskirts, once a thriving water body, is now choking under the weight of sewage, industrial waste and rampant water hyacinth. Once a sanctuary for aquatic life and birds, including pelicans, the lake now shows no signs of either.

On Mar. 5, Star of Mysore published a report titled ‘Hebbal Lake Choked,’ highlighting the lake’s deteriorating condition despite a Rs. 105-crore investment by Infosys Foundation in its rejuvenation and sewage treatment plants.

The report exposed how untreated sewage and industrial effluents continue to flow unchecked, turning what was once a pristine lake into a polluted swamp. Blackened sewage, animal waste, plastic bottles and chemical-laced water pour in daily through major inlets, suffocating the ecosystem.

Acting swiftly, Mysuru Deputy Commissioner (DC) G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner Shaikh Tanveer Asif and other officials visited Hebbal Lake and directed the Hootagalli CMC to begin cleaning operations.

Floating trash barrier

To tackle the pollution, floating trash barriers are being used to remove water hyacinth and solid waste, including liquor bottles and metal debris. These barriers, designed with hydrostatic and hydrodynamic stability, effectively capture solid waste while allowing water to flow freely. Positioned diagonally across the lake, they channel trash toward one end, where it can be easily retrieved.

CMC workers are installing the barriers with the help of boats, clearing water hyacinth and underwater solid waste in stages.

Hootagalli CMC Commissioner B.N. Chandrashekhar told SOM this morning that the barriers have proven effective. “The work is underway, but as the lake is vast, it will take at least a week to remove the water hyacinth and underwater waste. Henceforth, we will regularly clean the lakes,” he said.

During their visit, the DC and MCC Commissioner directed local authorities to prevent sewage and industrial effluent discharge into the lake. Currently, the lake is maintained by Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB). Although several waste inlets have been sealed, one major inlet continues to spew untreated sewage from nearby residential areas, along with industrial waste from the Hebbal Industrial Area, plastic and animal waste — undoing much of the progress made over the years.

The DC has instructed the MCC Commissioner to prepare an estimate for a hi-tech Sewage Treatment Plant at the inlet to treat wastewater before it enters the lake. Additionally, the MCC Commissioner has directed Engineers from Vani Vilas Water Works (VVWW) to draft an action plan to halt sewage and industrial effluent flow into city lakes. Even Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) had filed a complaint with the DC regarding the issue.