Barely two years after its ₹4-crore rejuvenation, Gangashetty Lake in KR Pura is in crisis, with repeated fishkills reported since July 31. Locals and BBMP officials blame untreated sewage entering the lake through a stormwater drain.
Lake activist Raghavendra Pachhapur, who has been flagging the issue on social media, said flawed planning is destroying lake ecology. “Lakes lie at lower altitudes to collect clean rainwater. Instead, BBMP links them to polluted rajakaluves carrying sewage, plastic, and waste year-round. Without fresh rainwater inflow, ecosystems collapse,” he said.
The BBMP lake division has acknowledged that inflow design is a major issue. Officials cited two key problems: an encroachment narrowing the rajakaluve’s outlet and a faulty inlet that lets sewage in during rains. Though a diversion channel exists to separate sewage from rainwater, it fails in heavy downpours. A BBMP engineer noted that sewage volume in the drain rose from 5–10 million litres per day (MLD) to 40–50 MLD, blaming BWSSB for allowing untreated sewage into stormwater drains meant only for rainwater.
Residents say new apartments worsen the problem by discharging waste directly into drains instead of connecting to underground networks. The engineer called it a “conflict of interest,” with BWSSB managing sewage but BBMP dealing with the resulting lake pollution.
For Srinivas of Chinnagara Layout, just 50 m away, the sight of dead fish and birds is heartbreaking. Volunteers maintain greenery and plant saplings, but locals insist only blocking sewage entry and restoring rainwater inflow can save the lake.