Impact of sewage mining activities on urban lakes
Student name: Mr Shashank Palur
Guide: Ms Fawzia Tarannum
Year of completion: 2017
Host Organisation: Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bangalore
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Dr Veena Srinivasan
Abstract: Bengaluru’s lakes have seen a new lease of life with multiple lakes undergoing rejuvenation efforts.
Although the motive is merely aesthetic the benefits have been many other spheres such as ecology,
Social empowerment and better hydrological conditions for groundwater. The importance has
been somewhat restored to what it was previously, except the water quality. The lakes are still not
of potable water quality which has left them open for exploitation. The KPCL power plant is one
such example where there is open disregard for the lake. The way it has been planned will definitely
end up destroying the lake system and leave it in ruins. The scenario where there is a zero discharge
will make the lakes of Jakkur and Rachenahalli go dry in the summer months whereas now the are
perennially full. The 3 rd scenario looks a bit promising with the lakes surviving the dry months with
low amounts of water.
Keywords: Bengaluru, Urban Lakes, Lake chain, Cascading systems, Tanks
