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Photos: Bengaluru’s treated sewage water brings fear of toxicity to Kolar

The Koramangala-Challaghattapura Valley lift irrigation project seeks to fill 226 lakes in the villages of Karnataka’s arid Kolar district with the treated sewage water coming from Bengaluru to increase the groundwater level in the region. But this multi-crore project has residents sceptical, fearing that toxic water is being directed to the region’s lakes. However, the government argues that the water is fit for fisheries and propagation of wildlife and the aim of the project is to turn the districts into water surplus ones.

Updated on: Jul 11, 2018 9:20 AM IST

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Lakshmisagara Lake in Karnataka’s arid Kolar district seen filled with the treated waste water coming from Bengaluru to increase the region’s groundwater. On June 2, when water gushed into the lake, the previous Siddaramaiah-led state government’s ambitious plan came to completion. However, a month later, villagers have turned sceptical of this Rs 1,342-crore project, fearing that the scheme was supplying “toxic water” to the region’s lakes. (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

Updated on Jul 11, 2018 9:20 AM

Lakshmisagara Lake in Karnataka’s arid Kolar district seen filled with the treated waste water coming from Bengaluru to increase the region’s groundwater. On June 2, when water gushed into the lake, the previous Siddaramaiah-led state government’s ambitious plan came to completion. However, a month later, villagers have turned sceptical of this Rs 1,342-crore project, fearing that the scheme was supplying “toxic water” to the region’s lakes. (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

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The Koramangala-Challaghattapura Valley lift irrigation project seeks to fill 226 lakes in the district through a series of channels and pumps. The government has argued that the water provided is fit for fisheries and propagation of wildlife and its quality is better than that of the existing groundwater, which it said has high traces of fluorides and nitrates. (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

Updated on Jul 11, 2018 9:20 AM

The Koramangala-Challaghattapura Valley lift irrigation project seeks to fill 226 lakes in the district through a series of channels and pumps. The government has argued that the water provided is fit for fisheries and propagation of wildlife and its quality is better than that of the existing groundwater, which it said has high traces of fluorides and nitrates. (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

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Krishnegowda, 34, a farmer who owns 10 heads of cattle and 20 goats, said rumours had surfaced that two goats had died after drinking water from the Lakshmisagara Lake and his neighbour, Nanjundappa, 75, said he had heard that the unclean lake water had triggered the sale of 1,000 goats in the village. However, Lakshmisagara residents gave a different reason for the sale. (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

Updated on Jul 11, 2018 9:20 AM

Krishnegowda, 34, a farmer who owns 10 heads of cattle and 20 goats, said rumours had surfaced that two goats had died after drinking water from the Lakshmisagara Lake and his neighbour, Nanjundappa, 75, said he had heard that the unclean lake water had triggered the sale of 1,000 goats in the village. However, Lakshmisagara residents gave a different reason for the sale. (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

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A villager checks the smell of the treated water. The fears expressed by Udupanahalli villagers regarding the quality of water supplied resonate in Lakshmisagara. Mahesh, a resident of the village, said the water coming from the pipeline was visibly darker. “We should be given proper water, not sewage water from the city. If this water is so clean why isn’t it being used in Bengaluru?” he asked. (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

Updated on Jul 11, 2018 9:20 AM

A villager checks the smell of the treated water. The fears expressed by Udupanahalli villagers regarding the quality of water supplied resonate in Lakshmisagara. Mahesh, a resident of the village, said the water coming from the pipeline was visibly darker. “We should be given proper water, not sewage water from the city. If this water is so clean why isn’t it being used in Bengaluru?” he asked. (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

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An overdependence on groundwater has caused depletion, with villagers stating that they now have to dig up to 1,000 feet to get water. Residents of Lakshmisagara and Udupanahalli villages said they were suspicious of this multi-crore scheme since its inception as they had seen how Bengaluru’s Bellandur and Varthur Lakes had frothed because of pollution. (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

Updated on Jul 11, 2018 9:20 AM

An overdependence on groundwater has caused depletion, with villagers stating that they now have to dig up to 1,000 feet to get water. Residents of Lakshmisagara and Udupanahalli villages said they were suspicious of this multi-crore scheme since its inception as they had seen how Bengaluru’s Bellandur and Varthur Lakes had frothed because of pollution. (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

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Scepticism over the project led to a PIL in the Karnataka High Court seeking further quality tests of the treated waste water before the target of filing 126 tanks is met. Brushing aside fears, the Minor Irrigation Department’s principle secretary R Rudraiah quoted studies conducted by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board at both the lakes to argue that the treated water was fit for fisheries and wildlife. (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

Updated on Jul 11, 2018 9:20 AM

Scepticism over the project led to a PIL in the Karnataka High Court seeking further quality tests of the treated waste water before the target of filing 126 tanks is met. Brushing aside fears, the Minor Irrigation Department’s principle secretary R Rudraiah quoted studies conducted by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board at both the lakes to argue that the treated water was fit for fisheries and wildlife. (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

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Boys take pictures at Lakshmisagara Lake. Rudraiah said that the end goal is to turn the arid Kolar and Chikkaballapura districts into water surplus ones. Karnataka’s minor irrigation minister CS Puttaraju said, “I have been informed about fears of the people there and have conveyed them to chief minister Kumaraswamy. We have asked the department to look at providing tertiary treatment for the water to make it fit for drinking.” (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

Updated on Jul 11, 2018 9:20 AM

Boys take pictures at Lakshmisagara Lake. Rudraiah said that the end goal is to turn the arid Kolar and Chikkaballapura districts into water surplus ones. Karnataka’s minor irrigation minister CS Puttaraju said, “I have been informed about fears of the people there and have conveyed them to chief minister Kumaraswamy. We have asked the department to look at providing tertiary treatment for the water to make it fit for drinking.” (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

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