In sharp contrast to the pictures of froth from Bellandur or Varthur Lake in Bengaluru, a lake that had dried up in Chikkaballapur taluk is set to be rejuvenated using treated sewage water.
The Kandavara Kere (25 kilometres from Bengaluru International Airport) - one of the largest lakes in Chikkaballapur, is set to be rejuvenated with water from Hebbal and Nagavara sewage treatment plants (STPs).
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with local MLA K Sudhakar, laid the foundation stone for the revival of Kandavara Kere in Chikkaballapur on Monday.
The desilting work for the 330-acre lake also took off on Monday itself and the authorities expect the lake to be filled by December.
Monday’s event was earlier scheduled to be held on July 28.
The water will be supplied through a combination of elevated pipes and canals into Kandavara Kere from Bagalur via Jalahoobli. The government believes that this will strengthen the water table in the neighbouring districts.
“The residents of Chikkaballapur have been struggling with severe water shortage for many years now. Our aim is to return Kandavara Kere to its glory days. Water will be treated at the Hebbal and Nagavara plant and will flow through a combination of elevated pipes and canals into Kandavara Kere from Bagalur via Jalahobli. Once the Kandavara tank is filled, water will flow into 44 other irrigation tanks, " Sudhakar said in a statement.
The Principal Scientific Officer at the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology, AR Shivakumar, sounded positive about the initiative.
"Filling the lake for agricultural activities with treated water from STP is one of the best things to happen for Chikkabalapura and Kolar districts. Additional water flowing into the districts will offset the over-utilisation of groundwater through deep borewells,” said Shivakumar.
However, he spoke about the necessity to ensure that the sewage is treated properly.
“One line of caution is to monitor the quality of STP water flowing into the lakes on a continuous basis,” Shivakumar added.