Deccan Herald creating awareness in schools among youngsters

Today's children are tomorrow's active citizens. Deccan Herald has taken up this job of creating awareness on rainwater harvesting and water conservation among school children.Different schools in various localities are handpicked. Resource persons share their views and give enough room for the students to discuss various other public related issues in order to enthuse the children to actively participate in the societal affairs. Since media plays a vital role in imparting such awareness it is the duty of every news agency to come up with similar programs to bring about changes in the  livelihood.

Rainwater Harvesting in Residences

AFTER BEING MADE MANDATORY, RAINWATER HARVESTING IS GAINING PUBLICITY AMONG BANGALOREANS.IS IT NECESSARY FOR US TO INCORPORATE THE SAME IN OUR HOUSES????

"What makes desert a beautiful is the presence of a well somewhere".Therefore water is one of the most important element supporting life on earth. The earth is covered with 74% percent water on her surface with 4% potable water. We need water for all our activities in day-to-day life. Not only for domestic purposes, but also for various other industrial manufacturing.

"Water water everywhere neither a drop to drink".Water supply in urban area is always short against the total demand. Surface water is inadequate to meet our demand and we have to depend on ground water. Due to rapid urbanization, infiltration of rainwater into the subsoil has decreased drastically and recharging of ground water has diminished.Since there is no such legislation that limits the number of bore wells in Bangalore, the bore well tradition has touched the sky in no time. The number is estimated to be 3,40,000.

This scenario requires an alternative source to bridge the gap between demand and supply. Rainwater, which is easily available and is the purest form of water, would be an immediate source to augment the existing water supply by "catching water wherever it falls".

Rainwater Harvesting has emerged as a viable alternative to traditional perennial sources of water in hilly areas, in places where the level of fluoride and arsenic is above permissible limits and in urban areas facing water shortage and flooding during monsoons.

Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) is the process of collecting and storing rainwater in a scientific and controlled manner for reuse. Rainwater Harvesting in urban areas include
1. Roof top rainwater harvesting
2. Rainwater harvesting from surface flow (open fields, parks, pavement landscapes etc.)
3. Rainwater Harvesting in large areas with open ponds, lakes, tanks etc.

Rainwater from the rooftop is drawn through the drain pipes systematically and collected in storage devices such as HDPE (plastic) tanks or underground sumps.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board guideline reads, "the water conserved for 1 sqft of roof area must be 2 litres and 1sqft of open paved area must be 1 litre." Therefore the residents have to calculate their roof area and open areas against the water to be conserved.(That should be the storage capacity of your sump, tank and well)
Residences without enough open space can construct underground sumps depending on the roof yield. Or the other immediate option will be a synthetic tank on the roof or a chejja without disturbing the aesthetics of the building. Or sometimes even a surface tank will serve the purpose.

It is important to note that the water before being collected in the storage tanks, has to be passed through the filters that are exclusively available for filtering rain water. Houses falling under trees are tend to get accumulated with leaves that have to be segregated through a life slide (mesh).

Major portion of rainwater is collected from huge structures such as apartments, commercial complexes, industrial layouts etc. Such places can carry out rainwater harvesting where the rainwater replaces large quantities of fresh surface water and even ground water.


Apart from storing in storage tanks, water can also be diverted to the ground through open wells. The open wells may be constructed in the open area within the premises at the lower gradients to receive water from the roof as well as the open spaces through gravity flow. The water from open wells percolate to the ground slowly. This increases the water table in the long run and the water availability within these cement ring wells proportionally increases.The well should be 10ft deep(min) with a diameter of 3ft(min). This varies according to the plot and roof area.

In residences where space is a constraint, an underground sump within the living area will accommodate for storing rainwater. An overflow outlet can be led to the storm water drain outside.
Houses which have traditional open wells and stone wells can use the same for RWH. But as a precaution, filters have to be incorporated.

If the water is used for gardening solely, then a first flush separator can be used for segregating floating impurities.



Benefits of Rainwater Harvesting
1.Eco friendly and easy approach for water requirements
2.RWH is an ideal solution for water requirements in areas having inadequate water supply
3.Increases ground water level
4.Improves ground water quality(dilutes salts present in groundwater)
5.Mitigates the effects of drought
6.Reduces the runoff, which other wise floods storm water drains
7.Reduces flooding of roads and low-lying areas
8.Reduces soil erosion
9.Cost effective and easy to maintain
10.Reduces water and electricity bills

Traditional Water Harvesting in Karnataka underlines the importance of step wells, lakes, tanks, channels etc., as water storage bodies, the basic purpose of which was to establish a chain of water storage structures. However, a vanishing "Lake Culture" due to urbanization and industrialization has caused these systems to be neglected.

To make Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) a success, we should have a thorough knowledge of the following: geographic location; climate; geology; soil; land use; water requirements; existing water supply system; cost of water; systems & forms of RWH and the potential of harvesting rainwater.

RWH has the following unique advantages
1.Capturing rainwater in-situ and augmenting supply water at a marginal cost
2.Replenishing groundwater through recharging of rainwater by using the soil column
3.Reducing pollution and contamination
4.Reducing the water bill for the state exchequer
5.Providing clean and safe water
6.Least capital investment with maximum benefits to households and the city as a whole

The demerits of RWH
1.It is dependent on the monsoons and intensity of rainfall.
2.It depends on intensive participation from house level to the city level.
3.It is only a supplementary source and cannot replace the existing supply system completely.
4.Quality of rainwater harvested should be tested.

As the primary source of water, rainwater is the purest form of water. Rainwater harvesting not only solves the problem of unavailability of water, but also provides good quality water. However, certain precautions need to be taken to ensure that the stored water is not polluted.

1.Keep the roof or the water collection area clean before the rains.
2.Flush the rainwater collected in the first few minutes.
3.Store the collected rainwater in a closed container (avoid sunlight).
4.The quality of water deteriorates in the presence of sunlight and air.
5.Water can be kept clean over a period of five to six months in a clean container stored in an enclosed area protected from sunlight.
6. If any bacterial contamination is noticed, a small dosage of chlorine is recommended.

Who can harvest rainwater and where?
1. People planning construction of house, modification of house, existing house, etc.
2. From rooftops of Govt. buildings, Institutions, Hospitals, Hotels, shopping malls etc.
3. From rooftops and open areas
4. Farmlands, Public Parks, Playground, etc.
5. Paved and unpaved areas of a    
    layout/city/town/village

 Need for rainwater harvesting
Water harvesting is an activity of collection of rainwater and storing in containers for direct use or can be recharged in to the ground.As water is becoming scarce, it is the need of the day to attain self-sufficiency to fulfill the water needs
As urban water supply system is under tremendous pressure for supplying water to ever increasing population.Groundwater is getting depleted and polluted.
Soil erosion resulting from the unchecked runoff. Health hazards due to consumption of polluted water

Methods of Rainwater Harvesting

1. Rainwater stored for direct use in tanks above ground or underground sumps or overhead tanks and used directly for flushing, gardening, washing etc.
2. Ground water recharge.
3. Recharged to ground through recharge pits, dug wells, bore wells, soak pits, recharge trenches, etc

 Rainwater Harvesting potential

 Rainwater harvesting potential in urban areas is huge. Considering the availability of rainwater in a residential site of 40 x 60 feet (an area of 2400sq.ft./223 sq.mts.), around 2,23,000 lts of rainwater can be harvested in a location where the rainfall is around 1000 mm or 39.4 inches (Bangalore receives around 995 mm of rainfall annually). The amount of rainwater that can be harvested from the available rainwater in the plot depends on potential rainfall, catchment area available, collection methods and its efficiency etc.

Reuse of rainwater
Rainwater can be filtered for bacteria and reused for primary purposes such as drinking and cooking. Reverse Osmosis filters, UV filters, Iodine filters, Silver impregnated carbon filters, etc can be employed to filter rainwater to make it potable.
Rainwater Harvesting for Domestic Applications
Water requirement of a house can be broadly classified into
Drinking, Cooking, Bathing, Washing Vehicles, Utensils, Clothes, Floor cleaning, Gardening and Flushing in toilets. For washing, gardening and flushing toilets, relatively less clean water can be used (secondary use). Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) can meet all these above needs with suitable RWH techniques.Water requirement in a house is throughout the year. However, rainwater availability without having facilities to store is limited to number of rainy days and the quantity of rainwater available during the rainy days. Several interventions can be made to enhance the number of days of use of rainwater from number of rainy days to 365 days a year. Parameters, which support rainwater harvesting, are availability of space, willingness to invest, technical suitability of soil structure and geological parameters.
Write back at tej.cveng@gmail.com






Description

RAINWATER HARVESTING FOR FARMLANDS AND PLANTATION

In India agriculture contributes 40% to our country’s GNP and gives subsistence to 70% of our population. And yet 1/3 of our total geographical area is drought –prone because we are dependent upon the monsoons which can be erratic. Drought-prone areas have to be provided water not only for human and cattle consumption but also for irrigation. Whereas even after good monsoons water is not available only because of lack of proper management and storage. Water Management is the cheapest and purest source of water is rain water. Harvesting of the water in pond, lakes, wells, tanks and reservoirs helps to preserve this water so that it can be put to varied uses later on. One of the most effective ways of water management is through farmponding.

In case of farmlands and plantation sites, there is a huge water potential.The water collected in such areas can be conserved in a systematic and scientific way.The downpour during the monsoons can be arrested in low lying depressions called farmponds. The farmponds can be cultured in different agricultural lands irrespective of their soil strata and plot area. Bunds constructed around these ponds prevent the overflow. The surface run-off from all the corners of the site can be diverted to such ponds through trenches. The silt that is carried off by the surface run-off within these trenches is trapped building silt traps. These silt traps are of dimension 2X2X2 cft depending upon the water potential. The size stone jally in these silt traps arrest the silt and allow relatively clean water into the ponds.

These farmponds can be construsted with lining to prevent seepage through soil from the bunds.Use of cast- in-situ concrete, bricks, stone-slabs, precast tiles, precast concrete slabs etc. Introduction of plastics sheets in the form of LDPE film below the hard cover lining is effective in improving water tightness of lining.

Groundwater excavation in India has gone haywire. It is predicted that groundwater is to deplete by 2015 and India is to become water stressed. Digging of Bore wells and Tube wells on a large scale has dried the fractures. This has a devastating effect on agriculture. Defunct Tube wells in farmlands is a common scene. Food production is decreased and has brought drastic changes in demand supply chain therefore increasing foodprices.Thus, there is an immediate need to recharge groundwater. There are different methods to recharge ground water on a large scale. recharging defunct Bore wells is one method among them. Long trenches trenches dug in agricultural fields carry water to such defunct borewell for recharge.

The next immediate option will be the cement ring wells. The sloping gradients have to be cut-down for such wells. The depth being 25ft and the diameter 4ft. after the excavation, few precast cement rings are inserted into the pit with boulders around. The boulders can be of 40mm thickness. This will allow for easy percolation of surface water into the wells.

The surface run-off flowing with high velocity can be checked at check dams and stored in farm ponds. This not only harvests water for farming but also helps keep soil moisture for dry seasons.

Civil Engineering And Real Estate

Even Gods need shelter....

Real Estate market is getting hotter every year and looked around,the main factor is pricing. The physical land and appurtenances including any structures;for all practical purposes synonymous with real property.Though the land values have increased in the last three years and the glitch among the common men persists,the process of selling,buying,leasing and renting has not stopped. On one hand,it is the wanting of everyone to jump on the doom and gloom of the real estate and on the other hand it is the marketing strategies of the sellers to attract the buyers. As a civil engineer,I believe to work first time property buyers.Though they bargain,you have multiple customers.When it comes to the buyers,it makes sense to buy sooner than later.With the growing prices of raw materials,labour and cement it is needless to say the above.Planning finances and coping up with the EMIs are on the buyers part. To keep up flexibility in the latter part of life,I reccomend the buyers to hurry!!!

100 simple ways to save the environment

1.  In Your Home – Conserve Energy
2. Clean or replace air filters on your air conditioning unit at least once a month.
3. If you have central air conditioning, do not close vents in unused rooms.
4. Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120.
5. Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket.
6. Turn down or shut off your water heater when you will be away for extended periods.
7. Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time.
8. Set your refrigerator temperature at 36 to 38 and your freezer at 0 to 5 .
9. When using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use; it reduces oven temperature by 25 to 30 every time you open the door.
10. Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load so that it uses less energy.
11. Unplug seldom used appliances.
12. Use a microwave when- ever you can instead of a conventional oven or stove.
13. Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.
14. Reverse your indoor ceiling fans for summer and winter operations as recommended.
15. Turn off lights, computers and other appliances when not in use.
16. Purchase appliances and office equipment with the Energy Star Label; old refridgerators, for example, use up to 50 more electricity than newer models.
17. Only use electric appliances when you need them.
18. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy.
19. Keep your thermostat at 68 in winter and 78 in summer.
20. Keep your thermostat higher in summer and lower in winter when you are away
21. Insulate your home as best as you can.
22. Install weather stripping around all doors and windows.
23. Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.
24. Plant trees to shade your home.
25. Shade outside air conditioning units by trees or other means.
26. Replace old windows with energy efficient ones.
27. Use cold water instead of warm or hot water when possible.
28. Connect your outdoor lights to a timer.
29. Buy green electricity - electricity produced by low - or even zero-pollution facilities (NC Greenpower for North Carolina - www.ncgreenpower.org). In your home-reduce toxicity.
30. In Your Home – Reduce Toxicity
31. Eliminate mercury from your home by purchasing items without mercury, and dispose of items containing mercury at an appropriate drop-off facility when necessary (e.g. old thermometers).
32. Learn about alternatives to household cleaning items that do not use hazardous chemicals.
33. Buy the right amount of paint for the job.
34. Review labels of household cleaners you use. Consider alternatives like baking soda, scouring pads, water or a little more elbow grease.
35. When no good alternatives exist to a toxic item, find the least amount required for an effective, sanitary result.
36. If you have an older home, have paint in your home tested for lead. If you have lead-based paint, cover it with wall paper or other material instead of sanding it or burning it off.
37. Use traps instead of rat and mouse poisons and insect killers.
38. Have your home tested for radon.
39. Use cedar chips or aromatic herbs instead of mothballs. In Your Yard
40. Avoid using leaf blowers and other dust-producing equipment.
41. Use an electric lawn- mower instead of a gas-powered one.
42. Leave grass clippings on the yard-they decompose and return nutrients to the soil.
43. Use recycled wood chips as mulch to keep weeds down, retain moisture and prevent erosion.
44. Use only the required amount of fertilizer.
45. Minimize pesticide use.
46. Create a wildlife habitat in your yard.
47. Water grass early in the morning.
48. Rent or borrow items like ladders, chain saws, party decorations and others that are seldom used.
49. Take actions that use non hazardous components (e.g., to ward off pests, plant marigolds in a garden instead of using pesticide).
50. Put leaves in a compost heap instead of burning them or throwing them away. Yard debris too large for your compost bin should be taken to a yard-debris recycler.
51. In Your Office
52. Copy and print on both sides of paper.
53. Reuse items like envelopes, folders and paper clips.
54. Use mailer sheets for interoffice mail instead of an envelope.Use mailer sheets for interoffice mail instead of an envelope.
55. Set up a bulletin board for memos instead of sending a copy to each employee.
56. Use e-mail instead of paper correspondence.
57. Use recycled paper.
58. Use discarded paper for scrap paper.
59. Encourage your school and/or company to print documents with soy-based inks, which are less toxic.
60. Use a ceramic coffee mug instead of a disposable cup. Ways To Protect Our Air
61. Ask your employer to consider flexible work schedules or telecommuting.
62. Recycle printer cartridges.
63. Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.
64. Report smoking vehicles to your local air agency.
65. Don't use your wood stove or fireplace when air quality is poor.
66. Avoid slow-burning, smoldering fires. They produce the largest amount of pollution.
67. Burn seasoned wood - it burns cleaner than green wood.
68. Use solar power for home and water heating.
69. Use low-VOC or water-based paints, stains, finishes and paint strippers.
70. Purchase radial tires and keep them properly inflated for your vehicle.
71. Paint with brushes or rollers instead of using spray paints to minimize harmful emissions.
72. Ignite charcoal barbecues with an electric probe or other alternative to lighter fluid.
73. If you use a wood stove, use one sold after 1990. They are required to meet federal emissions standards and are more efficient and cleaner burning.
74. Walk or ride your bike instead of driving, whenever possible.
75. Join a carpool or vanpool to get to work.
76. Ways to Use Less Water
77. Check and fix any water leaks.
78. Install water-saving devices on your faucets and toilets.
79. Don't wash dishes with the water running continuously.
80. Wash and dry only full loads of laundry and dishes.
81. Follow your community's water use restrictions or guidelines.
82. Install a low-flow shower head.
83. Replace old toilets with new ones that use a lot less water.
84. Turn off washing machine's water supply to prevent leaks. Ways to Protect Our Water
85. Revegetate or mulch disturbed soil as soon as possible.
86. Never dump anything down a storm drain.
87. Have your septic tank pumped and system inspected regularly.
88. Check your car for oil or other leaks, and recycle motor oil.
89. Take your car to a car wash instead of washing it in the driveway.
90. Learn about your watershed. Create Less Trash
91. Buy items in bulk from loose bins when possible to reduce the packaging wasted.
92. Avoid products with several layers of packaging when only one is sufficient. About 33 of what we throw away is packaging.
93. Buy products that you can reuse.
94. Maintain and repair durable products instead of buying new ones.
95. Check reports for products that are easily repaired and have low breakdown rates.
96. Reuse items like bags and containers when possible.
97. Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones.
98. Use reusable plates and utensils instead of disposable ones.
99. Use reusable containers to store food instead of aluminum foil and cling wrap.
100. Shop with a canvas bag instead of using paper and plastic bags.
101. Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently.
102. Reuse packaging cartons and shipping materials. Old newspapers make great packaging material.
103. Compost your vegetable scraps.
104. Buy used furniture - there is a surplus of it, and it is much cheaper than new furniture.

EFFECT OF URBANIZATION ON LAKES IN BANGALORE

1. LAKES

A lake is a terrain feature, a body of liquid on the surface of a world that is
localized to the bottom of basin and moves slowly if it moves at all. . On Earth, a body of water is considered a lake when it is inland, not part of the ocean, is larger and deeper than a pond, and is fed by a river.

There are a number of natural processes that can form lakes. A recent tectonic uplift of a mountain range can create bowl-shaped depressions that accumulate water and form lakes. The advance and retreat of glaciers can scrape depressions in the surface where water accumulates.

Lakes have numerous features in addition to lake type, such as drainage basin (also known as catchment area), inflow and outflow, nutrient content, dissolved oxygen, pollutants, pH, and sedimentation.The composition of the lake bed has a significant impact on the flora and fauna found within the lake's environs by contributing to the amounts and the types of nutrients available.

2. LAKES IN INDIA

There is no unique or rigid classification. It depends on the context and the classifier. The commonly perceived classifications are the following:

· Geographical classification like Himalayan, Peninsular, Coastal etc.

· Liminological Classification like Fresh Water, Brackish Water etc

· Functional classification like Irrigation, Water Supply, Hydropower etc.

· Water quality classification

· Management classification.
For the present review, the last classification under the following broad categories is relevant:
· Urban Lakes
· Non Urban Lakes
· Estuarine Lakes
· Ephemeral Lakes

However for the present review we are concerned about Urban Lakes.

3. URBAN LAKES

Urban lakes, sources of water supplies for irrigation, drinking, industries, etc all over the country without exception, are in varying degrees of environmental degradation. Disappearance of lakes is also majorly seen in countries like India. The reasons being,

• Population Explosion
• Urbanization
• Pollutants flowing into lakes from point and non point sources
• Diversion of rivers feeding the lakes
• Discharge of untreated wastes into lakes
• Competition for using lakes for irrigation, hydropower, etc

The water quality of urban lakes in cities like Bangalore has deteriorated so much as to cause serious threat to humans, animals, plants and in turn eco-system. There has been quantum reduction in the number of lakes as well.

4. LAKES OF BANGALORE

Bangalore is located in Karnataka, in the heart of the Deccan Plateau at an average elevation of 920m.The topology is flat except for a central ridge. Though there are no major rivers, Vrishabavathy and its tributary Arkavathy flow across the city carrying Bangalore’s much of the sewage. Bangalore has a handful of lakes to fulfill the water requirements of the city.

Bangalore has been synonymous with its salubrious climate, due to its position on the Deccan Plateaus as well as its extensive greenery and lakes. Lakes, which have been an inherent part of the ecosystem, also have traditionally served the function of meeting water requirements of the populace, be it for drinking, household uses like washing, for agriculture, fishing and also for religious and cultural purposes. Apart from these functions, which involve direct use of the lake water, lakes are also known to recharge ground water, channelise water flow to prevent water logging and flooding. These water bodies are also host to a wide variety of flora and fauna, especially birds.
Apart from these uses lakes in Bangalore also provide employment.
Agriculture: Water from the lakes are utilized for agriculture. Water is accessed either directly by sourcing water from the lake through canals built for this purpose or through tapping groundwater through bore wells replenished by the lakes.
Fishing: Lakes in Bangalore have been sources of fish to fishermen and therefore a source of livelihood. Many fishermen depend on these lakes as a source of livelihood.

Dhobis/Washer men: Many lakes in Bangalore are the home to 'Dhobi gaths', where dhobis wash clothes and dry them for commercial and livelihood purposes.

“Water water everywhere neither a drop to drink”. The history book says there were 159 water bodies spread in an area of 2003 ha in 1973, that number declined to 147 (1582 ha) in 1992, which further declined to 107 (1083 ha) in 2002, and finally there are only 93 water bodies (both small and medium size) with an area of 918 ha in the Greater Bangalore region in 2007.
To name a few are,
1. Ulsoor Lake
2. Hesargatta Lake
3. Yediyur Lake
4. Puttenahalli Lake
5. Sankey Tank
6. Madiwala Lake
7. Hebbal Lake
8. Varthur Lake
9. Dasarahalli Lake
10. Lalbagh lake
Experts say “Disappearance of water bodies and a sharp decline in the number of water bodies in Bangalore is mainly due to intense urbanization and urban sprawl”.


5. URBANIZATION IN BANGALORE

Bangalore is India's third most populous city and fifth most populous urban agglomeration. Today, as a large and growing metropolis, Bangalore is home to some of the most well-recognized colleges and research institutions in India. Numerous public sectors, heavy industries, software companies, aerospace, telecommunications, and defence organizations are located in the city. Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India because of its preeminent position as the nation's leading IT employer and exporter. A demographically diverse city, Bangalore is a major economic hub and the fastest growing major metropolis in India.

Because of the unprecedented economic and demographic growth of the city, the population has increased from 1.7 billion in 1971 to 6 billions. This demographic explosion put a huge pressure on real estate. The extension of residential areas on drained lakes has sped up with rapid urbanization.

6. URBANIZATION AND LAKES

In recent years many lakes of Bangalore have been lost in the process of various anthropogenic activities and population pressures leading to unplanned urbanization and expansion. Many lakes have been encroached due to their valuation resulting in drastic shrinkage of water bodies in the city. In fact, in the name of development many lakes have been already put to alternative use. For example bus stands, stadiums, layouts etc. 14% surrounded by slums and 72% show loss of catchment area.

The possible effects of Urbanization are:
6.1 Urbanization leading to encroachment
6.2 Urbanization lead to the privatization of some lakes
6.3 Unplanned urbanization leading to pollution
6.4 Urbanization leading to enhanced Temperature


6.1 Urbanization Leading To Encroachment

In the name of development to fulfill the aspiring needs of the populace, the great lakes of Bangalore are converted into residential areas,stadiums,bus stand, etc. Few such are
Shoolay lake Football stadium
Akkithimmanhalli lake* Hockey stadium
Sampangi lake Sports stadium
Dharmanbudhi lake Bus stand
Challaghatta lake Golf Course
Koramangala lake Residential layout
Nagashettihalli lake Space department
Kadugondanahalli lake Ambedkar Medical College
Domlur lake BDA layout
Millers lake* Residential layout
Subhashnagar lake* Residential layout
Kurubarahalli lake* Residential layout
Kodihalli lake* Residential layout
Sinivaigalu lake* Residential layout
Marenahalli lake Residential layout
Shivanahalli lake Playground, Bus stand
Bangalore city Bus Stand, once Dharmambudhi Tank
The KGA Golf Course stands on what was once the Challaghatta Tank
The Koramangala Tank is today a Sports Complex

6.2 Urbanization Lead to the Privatization of Some Lakes

Formed in July 2002, the LDA is a registered society, an autonomous body for conserving natural and man-made lakes in Karnataka. The CEO of LDA Mr. CS Vedant clarifies “The LDA does not have adequate staff to manage the lakes. Also, it is government policy not to create too many permanent jobs, as it would increase its expenditure. Hence, we have to find other means to get things done. The leases are one such way.”
Therefore the LDA which failed to cope up with the rapid urbanization in the city leased out few lakes for private organizations.The main problems faced as on date due to this are,
Lumbini Gardens, the leasee of Nagawara Lake, is a real estate group while the East India Hotels group is in the hospitality industry. These private operators chosen have no expertise in lake management at all. Their incompetence in lake conservation is already on display.
At Hebbal Lake, the dredging and removal of vegetation has permanently destroyed the wildlife habitat — a fact that is confirmed by the Forest Department in their June 2008 status report.


6.3 Unplanned Urbanization Leading To Pollution

The potable water in lakes has the following limitations. When the parameters of water exceed these limitations, the water is said to be polluted.E. coli count in 100ml of any sample should be zero.
The emerging realities have put enormous pressure on the government bodies resulting in the overlap of functions with regard to the management of lakes. Improper planning even after rapid urbanization has led to the broken sewerage in the city. This has resulted in the pollution of water making it non-potable.
Encroachment hinders bed treatment of the drains, especially desilting and maintenance. Encroachers flush in all their wastes into the drains too which has increased levels of heavy metals and pH of water. This is creating a grave situation in the city.

Few such lakes affected by pollution are,

A.BELLANDUR LAKE
Due to urbanization in 1990s,there was breakage of chains of tanks feeding the lake. The breakage in chains, unchecked industrial, residential as well as commercial development, resulted in insufficient rainwater reaching the tank and excess untreated sewerage and effluents laden water flow to the tank. This further led to a decrease in aquatic life, which affected the livelihoods of the fishing community.
A view of Bellandur Lake

B. VARTHUR LAKE
A case study by a team of Professors of IISC say the main pollutant in the lake is sewage water. Varthur lake also receives overflowing water from nearby Bellandur lake, which is also contaminated. “Though there are sewage treatment plants near Koramangala and Marathalli Ring Road, their capacity is limited. These plants can treat just five million litres of water everyday while the flow is more than 80 million litres per day, making Varthur lake one of the most polluted in the city.

C. HEBBAL LAKE
The catchment area of the lake was found to be 3750ha and this area includes the residential areas of Yeshwanthpur, Mathikere, Bharat Electronics Limited and colonies.
In 1974 the lake area was 77.95 ha and in 1998 it was 57.75 ha.
Sewage inflow into the lake has altered the chemistry and biology of the lake. Most measured physico-chemical properties of the waters of the lake exceed the acceptable standards for sewage effluent discharge set by the Indian Standards Institute (Indian Standards: 2490, 1982).

D. BYRAMANGLA LAKE
In the case of Byramangala lake, domestic effluents from unsewered areas like Nagarbhavi, Nayandahalli, Malathalli, Jyana Jyothinagar and Kengeri satellite town enter the Vrishabavathi valley and finally enter the Byramangala tank without treatment.
Regarding the water in this lake, the LDA has declared “not suitable for continuous application to land. We cannot do much in the issue as the lake is almost 100 per cent polluted.’’

6.4 Urbanization Leading To Enhanced Temperature

Increase in built up areas and decrease in water bodies has enhanced the city’s temperature. Analysis shows a variation from 23.09°C (dense urban), 22.4°C (open ground) to 22.14°C (mixed urban), and 19.57°C (water bodies) indicating the enhanced temperatures in urbanized regions.
Water bodies-Light Blue

7. RECENT LAKE DISASTERS IN THE CITY

A. MALLATHALLI LAKE
The recent death of over a lakh fish in Malathahalli lake has sent shock waves across the city about the quality of fish and the condition of the city's lakes.
To fulfill the growing demand for fishes, the fishermen here were told to use a chemical 'Nualgi’.This biotech product increased the fishes but resulted in less DO content. Our own study revealed that the Do content was just 2.5-2.8 which is unsuitable for the survival of fishes. More than a lakh fishes died on April 18th, 2009.
Mallathalli Lake with dead fish

B. PUTTENAHALLI LAKE
Encroachments of primary valley of Puttenahalli lake’s raja kaluve will flood Bangalore south areas soon, says a recent survey report.
A BBMP report says there about 61 illegal constructions that have come up in this valley blocking the waters including slum dwellers off JP Nagar.
Similar situations are faced by other valleys such as Sarakki, Vrishabhavathy, Koramangla, Hebbal and Chalagatta.
A considerable reduction in the levels of ground water table is also seen in these areas.

8. MANAGEMENT OF LAKES

Failure to deal with water as a finite resource is leading to the unnecessary destruction of lakes and marshes that provide us with water. This failure in turn is threatening all options for the survival and security of plants, animals, humans, etc. There is an urgent need for:
Restoring and conserving the actual source of water - the water cycle and the natural ecosystems that support it - are the basis for sustainable water management
Reducing the environmental degradation that is preventing us from reaching goals of good public health, food security, and better livelihoods world-wide
Improving the human quality of life that can be achieved in ways while maintaining and enhancing environmental quality
Reducing greenhouse gases to avoid the dangerous effects of climate change is an integral part of protecting freshwater resources and ecosystem.

Finally “Management of Lakes in Bangalore has been a vexed function at best”!
· Lake Development Authority (LDA) established, by Government of Karnataka in 2002.
· Expert Committee formed to study conditions of lake in Bangalore city.
· The expert committee observed that urban lakes are subjected to encroachment and pollution.
· Government Accepted the Commissions report.
· Committee constituted under the Ministry of Urban Development to Plan and Restore the lakes in Bangalore.
· LDA, BBMP, BDA, KFD and other Urban Local Bodies have been involved in Restoration of lakes.
· Government of India has accepted to fund (35% of project cost) restoration of lakes under Urban Renewal Mission programme.
· Balance funds will be met from State and ULB funds.