Spread over 508.16 acres in Bengaluru East, Yele Mallappa Shetty Lake was constructed in the year 1920 to meet the water requirements of Bengaluru. The lake, named after philanthropist Yele Mallappa Shetty, is one of the largest in the city. However, today it is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Encroachments, untreated sewage pouring into the waterbody, water hyacinths, and dumping of construction debris are sounding the death knell for the lake.

The revenue department, which surveyed the lake in 2021, stated in its report that 21.4 acres of the lake have been encroached upon by the government and private parties.

“An extent of 11.05 acres has been encroached upon for the construction of national highway, sewage treatment plant and Navy training centre. These are found to be in existence for several years and are now used by the public. An extent of 9.39 acres has been encroached upon by private parties for various purposes like agriculture, plantation, and layouts. These encroachments will be cleared following the due process of law,” the report said.

It further stated that the lake bed is being used to dump construction debris. The revenue department also acknowledged that the lake receives untreated sewage from its five inlets in the areas – Basavanapura, Avalahalli, Virgonagar, Hirandahalli, and Kundusonnenahalli.

In May this year, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to complete the underground sewage system and provide necessary sewage treatment plants to treat the sewerage before it is discharged into the water body by December 2027.

The NGT also directed the revenue department to remove the encroachments on the lake that is maintained by the Minor Irrigation Department.

Environmentalists have decried the public’s callousness towards discharging domestic waste into the water. They have sought the urgent intervention of the government to address the issue as water samples show the presence of a very high level of domestic discharge in the lake.

Captain Santhosh Kumar (retired), a lake activist said, “This lake is a very important water body and a national highway passes across it. I have studied the lake and checked if the sewage is directly getting discharged into some parts of the lake. A very high level of domestic discharge can be found in water samples. The lake is also completely covered with water hyacinth. Moreover, encroachments on the lake banks are common. The government should remove the encroachments and the sewage needs to be treated before it enters the lake. It is also important to monitor the water quality. If it is restored to its past glory, the lake could be used for water sporting activities and fishing.”

But environmentalists said that political representatives have disappointed them as political leaders have only made promises.  No concrete measures have been taken towards the restoration of the lake, they said.

Balaji Raghotham, another lake activist, said that former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa visited the lake last year and ordered its restoration. “The NGT also gave a stern direction towards its restoration and ordered the civic bodies to ensure that construction debris and animal waste are not dumped into the waterbody. But even today, the detailed project report for the restoration of the lake is under preparation,” he said.

“We have waited several years for the lake to be restored. Even today encroachment continues on a larger scale. Medical waste is still being dumped. Dead cows, pigs and poultry waste are still found within the lake’s banks. Builders have encroached on the lake’s property. I can say with confidence that files are not moving forward. The lake is not even fenced. The government must intervene quickly or else the lake would not exist,” he said.

In his budget speech this year, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced, “For comprehensive development of Yele Mallappa Shetty and Madiwala lakes, details will be prepared by the BBMP.”

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