Bengaluru’s lake is in the news again and this time it has nothing to do with froth or fire. People residing around Mottanalluru lake were forced to live with the stench of hundreds of dead fish emanating from the waterbody in South Bengaluru for a week. The Locals allege that  Mottanalluru lake in Bommasandra has become a cesspool for chemicals, effluents, and pesticides dumped from surrounding industries and agricultural fields.

For over a week, the local's incessant complaints about the stench from the dead fish had fallen on deaf ears and were completely ignored by the officials. Unable to bear the stench, they were forced to seek the help of lake activists in the area. The authorities finally heeded the complaints from the citizens, which propelled local authorities including the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to dispatch a team of officials to inspect and collect samples from the lake on Saturday.

Officials from Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) alleged that the sudden dip in dissolved oxygen (DO) in the lake and also the inflow of effluents and pesticides from surrounding industries and agricultural fields were the leading cause for the dead fish.

“The level of contamination has increased from many days in this lake, the discharge is mainly coming from Chandapura lake. This discharge is from the industrial unit located in and around the Chandapura lake,” Santosh KC a lake activist and local resident told the New Indian Express.

Fish death is not uncommon on Bengaluru’s dying lakes. The lakes here are often plagued with environmental issues spurred by pollution and the inflow of a large number of chemicals from the industrial area.  In March 2018, over 150 dead fish were found floating in Puttenahalli Lake in South Bangalore. Over the past decade, there has been a significant population boom in the city. As a result, there has been an increase in the amount of garbage dump around the lake parameters. Studies proved solid waste and excess sewage had depleted DO levels. Despite the government investing crores of rupees into reviving Bengaluru lakes, and citizen engagement, there's no solution.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 19, 2021 04:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).