Bengaluru: Residents and volunteers who have been cleaning and maintaining lakes in east Bengaluru say their efforts are being undone by inadequate security and lack of sustained action by authorities.Residents of Nallurhalli and Pattandur Agrahara near Whitefield said the challenge is not merely cleaning lakes, but also preventing littering and unauthorised activities. At Nallurhalli Lake, residents said Ganesha idols were immersed by unauthorised persons. After authorities failed to act on complaints, volunteers removed the idols themselves.“There is no proper patrolling. The plan is to deploy six home guards to guard the lake, but it has not yet been finalised,” said Shyam Padhi, a citizen volunteer working on waste management and lake-related issues around Whitefield.Padhi said he conducted a cleanup drive at Nallurhalli Lake about two weeks ago, but garbage had already accumulated again. Residents alleged that bulk waste handling agencies segregate waste on the roadside near the lake and that some garbage is left uncollected and burnt during the early hours.A portion of the lake’s fencing has been damaged, residents said, allowing people to enter and litter or defecate. They said the lake had become a hangout for drinkers after dusk. Empty beer bottles and cartons have been found inside the lake compound.Residents also raised concerns over ITPL Back Lake, where greywater from surrounding slums and residences is entering the waterbody. “The lake has become filthy and a health hazard; a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Around 2,000 apartments around the lake are affected,” Padhi said.Residents said officials had told them the lake was undeveloped and funds were yet to be cleared for fencing, park development and maintenance. Following several complaints over recent weeks, Bengaluru East City Corporation officials inspected ITPL Back Lake Tuesday and imposed fines on some individuals for littering.BECC additional commissioner Snehal Lokhande said Ganesha idols will be cleared soon, adding that officials were attending to the issue across multiple lakes in BECC limits.
