Bengaluru, often referred to as the “Silicon Valley of India,” is still grappling with a severe water crisis. Many of the lakes in the city have dried up, exacerbating the existing problem of water scarcity.
According to a new report, as many as 125 out of nearly 800 lakes under BBMP (Greater Bengaluru) and Bengaluru Urban district areas reported to have dried up. Additionally, 25 more BBMP lakes are heading in the same direction.
Among the dried-up lakes, 100 are in Bengaluru Urban district and 25 are within BBMP limits.
Out of the 184 lakes in BBMP’s custody, 50 are in critical condition.
As per BBMP officials, some of the lakebeds have turned into cricket pitches overnight for local boys and youngsters to enjoy their sporting activities.
Bengaluru Urban district, which has over 600 lakes beyond the BBMP area within its jurisdiction, has witnessed nearly 100 of them drying up this year, The Times of India reported.
Officials also express concerns that the drying up of the water bodies could negatively impact the groundwater table and hinder fishing activities. However, there is hope that last week’s rain will persist, and the dry and drying lakes could return to life, citing the rain forecast. It’s important to note that the 184 BBMP lakes mentioned do not include 19 water bodies that are already in disuse.
Furthermore, the publication also reported that almost 75% of the lakes and tanks in 31 districts of Karnataka have either dried up or are expected to dry up soon.
Cities such as Tumakuru and Belagavi are among the worst affected due to consecutive failures of southwest and northeast monsoons.
With the next monsoon still two months away, the rapid depletion of these water bodies is likely to worsen the prevailing water crisis across Karnataka.
According to the minor irrigation department, which oversees the maintenance of these lakes and water bodies, out of the 3,685 lakes in Karnataka, over 25% (964) are completely dry, while another 50% (1846) have only 10-30% water remaining, which could last only a few weeks due to the high evaporation rate.
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