Mysuru: Is the iconic Kukkarahalli Lake that inspired poets to come up with literary gems turning into another Bellandur Lake? The Bellandur Lake in Bengaluru is famous or rather infamous for spewing waves of froth and thick foam that usually spill onto the roads and carried by winds, blanketing cars and leaving neighbourhoods with a severe stink.

Looking at the way how froth-filled sewage water from the residential areas of Paduvarahalli and Jayalakshmipuram is flowing into the already polluted Lake, one fears that the day is not far when Kukkarahalli Lake will meet the fate of Bellandur Lake.

Hundreds of gallons of sewage water is being let out directly into Kukkarahalli Lake since the past couple of days and workers who are undertaking the magic box work on Hunsur Road have created a sort of a check dam for sewage to collect and have installed long PVC pipes for waste water to flow directly into the Lake.

Ironically, the magic box is being constructed for the rainwater to flow smoothly from Jayalakshmipuram, Paduvarahalli and surrounding areas into the Lake through gravitational force.

FOUL SMELL

As the sewage is entering the Lake in an uncontrolled manner, the concerned morning and evening walkers have been complaining of foul smell that is emanating from the Lake. This morning too, a group of environmentalists visited the Lake to ascertain the cause for the smell.

“We were shocked to see the smelly water easily entering the Lake through the PVC pipes and the flow was generating foam as the water is mixed with soaps and detergents. The foam in the morning is generally more as most of the residents either take bath or wash clothes during early hours,” D.H. Tanuja, environmentalist and an avid bird-watcher told Star of Mysore.

One of the causes for huge sewage collection, especially at the place near the magic box construction and where the new Maharani’s College and other buildings are coming up, is that there is a leaking and unattended manhole near the vicinity, she said and added “The workers setting up the magic box might have damaged the manhole line during the process of excavation. Sewage water from the manhole is getting collected in the open area (opposite the CFTRI gate) that is originally a Lake-bed. This sewage is now being pumped into the Kukkarahalli Lake.”

UNFILTERED SEWAGE

Sewage in large quantities when enters a water body results in vegetation decay and it produces harmful methane. “Sewage is being directly let out to the Lake since the last couple of days and the situation will continue till the authorities act. Enough damage has already been done to the water body and methane gas will cause more harm. And this is exactly what happened at Bellandur Lake,” Tanuja said.

Earlier too, sewage was entering Kukkarahalli Lake but used to enter stage-by-stage after being naturally filtered by the grass on the lake bund and other vegetation. “Sadly, the University of Mysore that is supposed to be the custodian of the Lake is not maintaining and nurturing the vegetation on the bund and surrounding areas that acts as a natural sewage filter,” Tanuja explained.

Environmental activists Chandu, Siri, Yogendra, Aman and Shoba and others were present.