City's Nayandahalli lake gets new lease of life

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Amid ongoing efforts to restore the water bodies, the city's Nayandahalli lake, once considered dead, is now nearing rejuvenation. The lake had earlier, like many lakes in the city, suffered neglect and pollution for decades.

Now, thanks to municipal bodies, efforts are underway to undo many of the wrongdoings of the past to revive many such lakes dotting the city landscape. Earlier this year, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) had announced a plan to release 120 million litres of purified wastewater into the Nayandahalli lake.

The project that cost the BBMP around Rs 7.5 crore, spanning around 15 acres of the lake, was expected to be completed by March 2023. The lake covers 15 acres and 8 guntas with water spread over 8 acres and 32 guntas. Its water-holding capacity is 120 million litres. It was filled with treated water from the sewage treatment plant of BWSSB at Vrishabhavathi Valley.

According to BBMP sources, Nayandahalli lake is the only one among the other lakes in the city that has been filled with 100 percent treated water. BWSSB pumped treated water into Agara and Jakkur lakes too, but they also received rainwater.

Sources said rainwater will be allowed to enter this lake only after ensuring no sewage is mixed with stormwater. BBMP took up the lake revival project in early 2022 after noticing that the lake was filled with silt and weeds. Citizens can use the walkway for their morning and evening walks. On Thursday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai inaugurated both the development project and the Dr Puneet Rajkumar Multi-Speciality Hospital in the city