These are pictures shared on various social media sites shared by residents of Bengaluru. While some said these were from the Bellandur lake, others said the images were from Varthur lake. The two lakes, 9kms apart, are inter connected, and in the last week, both did bubble over. It was as if a volcano of froth had spilt over from the lakes on to the roads adjacent to it. Shocked commuters negotiated a road that looked as if a giant washing machine had just spilt its contents on to it. But for residents living near the lake, the officials of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewarage Board (BWSSB), this is a regular phenomenon. No one willing to take responsibility Chairman of KSPCB, Vaman Acharya straight away said that the state of the lake was due to the alleged inaction of the BWSSB in tackling the sewage problem. “In Bengaluru, supply of drinking water and treating of sewage is the responsibility of BWSSB and it is has to be treated before it is let into the lakes,” he said. Photo courtesy- Murali Govindarajulu The KSPCB has also filed a criminal case against the engineers and the Chairman as they were considered to be the “polluters.” He insisted that the froth was a result of untreated household sewage and detergents and did not pose any health risk. Meanwhile, on contacting the Chief Engineer (Waste Water Management) Ramakrishna S M, he said, “The role of the KSPBC is not just to give us a notice, but to ensure and check who is polluting the lake." This is not the first time that the lake had foamed. The Hindu and Deccan Chronicle had reported one such incident in March 2011, followed by Bangalore Mirror report in 2013. According to both the KSPCB and BWSSB officials, the froth is generated mostly during and after the rains as the sudden impact of drops on the lake’s surface causes it to effervesce. They also denied that industrial effluents caused contamination which generated the froth. Both departments insist that the foam “was a result of detergents used in households” and the same being discharged in the lakes. The KSPCB Chairman Vaman Acharya claims that only 30% of the city sewage goes to the plant situated at near the lake while 70% gets discharged directly into the lake from neighbouring areas. Officials blame the spurt in the city’s growth for failure to tackle the city’s sewage and pollution problems. After 110 villages surrounding Bengaluru were brought under the BBMP’s jurisdiction, sewage treatment has become a herculean task for the BWSSB. As a result, it is directly discharged into the lake. It is not just the froth; the lake is severely contaminated with oil according to the officials. A Deccan Chronicle report says that when researchers of Bangalore University tested the water in the lake, the amount of total dissolved solids like chlorides, fluoride, sulphates, phosphates, was much higher than the permissible limit for potable water. Exclusive: Live in Bengaluru or ever travel there? Then here is the latest air pollution data from the city Read more: In spite of alarm over lakes spewing frothy sewage, Bengaluru authorities sleep