Treating Water Bodies! Bangalore's Nayandahalli Lake Gets Filled With Purified Wastewater

Waste accumulated in the water bodies has been choking the waters as well as the ecosystem surrounding it. In Bangalore city, this has been an issue that activists have taken to the official desks for years. Despite the small-scale projects and measures adopted by governments and non-governmental bodies, a larger portion of the water bodies continued to remain polluted. In a first, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) picked up the wastewater treatment of Nayandahalli lake and released up to 120 million litres of purified wastewater into the water body.

A Promising Project

The new year came along with new promises for the environment in Bangalore. In a first-of-its-kind move in the city, the BWSSB released up to 120 million litres of purified wastewater into the Nayandahalli lake. As per the claims made by the BWSSB, Nayandahalli becomes the first water body in the city to be filled with tertiary treated water. However, there have been conflicting opinions, with many activists claiming that this was not the first time a lake in Bangalore was filled with treated sewage.

The lake, spread over an area of 15 acres, was developed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) recently. A report by The Hindu quoted an official saying, “Despite several steps taken by the BBMP, the lake is filled with polluted water, hence we had planned to release purified wastewater into the lake.” The project started about three to four months back and has been completed at the cost of ₹2.52 crores. However, a few other works are also in progress and will be completed soon, according to a statement released by a senior BBMP official.

Scientific Approach To Pollution Control

The BWSSB released the purified wastewater on February 2, and it would be pumped into the lake from a nearby 60-MLD (million litres a day) tertiary treatment plant in the Vrishabhavathi Valley near the Mysore Road. While many lake activists have welcomed the move, some have expressed few concerns regarding the project. The major concern they held was regarding the presence of nutrients in the water after the treatment. They recommended that the BWSSB plant be equipped with Biological Nutrient Removal technology, a process used for removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater before it is discharged into the lake.

Co-founder and convener of Friends of Lakes, V Ramprasad, conveyed that the project would be effective if BWSSB followed all the Central Pollution Control Board regulations. In response to this, the BWSSB has also clarified that they adhere to all the latest guidelines of the CPCB norms on the phosphate and nitrate levels and assured that the entire process would be scientifically carried out.

Also Read: My Story: 'I Quit My Job To Revive Lakes In Bangalore, Because If Not Now, Then When?'