The report has been compiled by Mineral

Enterprises Ltd. (MEL) and submitted to

Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), the
custodian of the Lake. It evaluates the ‘First
Action(s)’ to be undertaken at Varthur Lake,
utilising the CSR funds of MEL. These are
suggestive and will be evaluated post the
submission of this report and on final approval
from BDA.

15th February, 2018

REVIVAL OF
VARTHUR LAKE Submitted by:
PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS Mineral Enterprises Ltd.
 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

Table of Contents

1. Background and Context ................................................................................................................. 2

1.1. What is the Problem? .............................................................................................................. 2
1.2. MEL’s involvement .................................................................................................................. 2
2. First Actions: Desilting (Stage I), Bund Strengthening and Lakebed Edge .................................... 4
2.1. Need for the Action ................................................................................................................. 4
2.2. Site conditions required to initiate Action ................................................................................ 4
2.3. The Process: ........................................................................................................................... 4
2.4. Timeline and status ................................................................................................................. 7
3. Prerequisites before initiating work ................................................................................................. 9
3.1. Latest contour map/bathymetric test ....................................................................................... 9
3.2. Completion of fencing and demarcation of access points ...................................................... 9
3.3. Removal of All encroachments & illegal inlets ........................................................................ 9
3.4. Clarity on the constructed road/pipeline, as it is blocking the entire northern set of inlets ..... 9
4. Conclusion and Next Steps ........................................................................................................... 11
Annexure I: Permission letter from BDA to MEL to initiate work at Varthur Lake ................................. 12
Annexure II: List of stakeholder meetings and key outcomes .............................................................. 14
Annexure III: Suggestive Action Plan for the Revival of Varthur Lake .................................................. 16

MINERAL ENTERPRISES LTD. 1

 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

1. Background and Context

1.1. What is the Problem?
Varthur Lake is today a highly polluted lake contaminated with domestic sewage, waste
water and industrial effluents though decades of misuse (Figure 1). Experts suggest Varthur
lake is in stasis for 2.5 years till interventions are finished, in an upstream lake - Bellandur, (a
major source of water for Varthur). Investigation of current government plans, however
suggest it is likely to remain polluted for many more years still.

The problem we face today is not just a lack of scientific data to understand extent of the
issue, but it is the absence of an integrated plan and the building of consensus among all
stakeholders for actions moving forward.

Figure 1: Issues faced at Varthur Lake - Frothing, Garbage dumping, etc.

1.2. MEL’s involvement

Mineral Enterprises Ltd. had approached Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) with
regard to the Varthur Lake issue and proposed to help out financially, utilising its CSR funds.
A letter permitting the same was issued by BDA on the 29.07.2017 (Annexure I). However
post the issue of the letter, there seemed to be a lack of clarity with respect to the actions for
rejuvenation and no usable data to assess the same. The latest reports presented to us was
a DPR dated 2009, which was dated and hence could not be used for the current
assessment.

Therefore MEL began its own process of understanding the first action it could take up in the
lake. In this regard it engaged a think-tank to assess the current situation and evaluate what
may be the first actions to invest into. Through several stakeholder meetings with scientists,
government officials, community members and other citizen groups (Annexure II), and using

MINERAL ENTERPRISES LTD. 2

 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

the Expert Committee report as a guideline document, the team evaluated and put together a
series of ‘First Actions’ as a part of a larger suggestive Action Plan (Annexure III), and
within them, identified those that that MEL would be ready to fund.

The ‘First Actions’ were considered as Desilting / dry dredging (just enough to define the lake
bed boundary), and the improvement of the bund and lake bed boundary. This is we believe
will lay the base for developing a lakefront in the future. However it is to be noted that the
high reliance on external actions like closure of illegal inlets, removal of encroachments, etc.
will play an instrumental role in initiating this activity in a timely manner.

MINERAL ENTERPRISES LTD. 3

 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

2. First Actions: Desilting (Stage I), Bund Strengthening and

Lakebed Edge
2.1. Need for the Action
As we know, the rejuvenation of Varthur Lake relies highly on that of Bellandur Lake as 95%
(560 MLD) of its inflow is from there. The treatment of the sewage entering from the main
inlet will drastically improve the quality of water in the lake.

However as this raw sewage has been allowed to enter untreated into the lake all these
years, it has resulted in the accumulation of silt, which has thereby led to a 75% reduction
in the storage capacity of the lake (from 6.10 Million cubic meters to less than 1.61 Million
cubic meters). This has also impacted the ground water levels in the area, as bore wells
which received water at 100ft now end up going upto 1600ft. Additionally, the dumping of
solid waste and construction waste has only added to the accumulation of material within the
lake bed.

Therefore as a part of protecting the lake, desilting of the lake in the shallow areas and
periphery, and using that material to strengthen the bund and lakebed edge is
proposed to be undertaken under MEL’s CSR funds.

2.2. Site conditions required to initiate Action

Protection of the Lake came across as the most urgent actions required, so that external
factors like encroachment, dumping of waste, etc. do not further add to its rapid deterioration.
This we believe will ensure a safe zone to initiate the revival effort, as well as secure the
future actions and ensure their sustainability.

The series of activities include the following, based on which MEL proposes to begin
Desilting / dry dredging (Stage I) and the improvement of the bund and lake bed boundary.
These include two main actions that are listed below.

Boundary Protection:

- Removal of all encroachments

- Completion of fencing and entrance gates
- Closure of illegal inlets

Inlet and Outlet treatment:

- Cleaning and surface development of all identified inlets and outlets

- Installation of silt traps in all identified inlets

2.3. The Process:

The process that will be followed the assessment to the implementation of the action is listed
below:

Step 1: Preliminary site survey & research

This survey along the lake is done to identify the condition of the lake edges, status of
fencing, potential access points, sites for stocking, state of encroachments, etc. This will give
a fair idea of the status of the lake and an idea of what further assessment is required to
proceed with creation of the implementation plan.

MINERAL ENTERPRISES LTD. 4

 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

The initial identification of areas and access points to begin desilting are shown in Figure 2.
However this will be altered based on the area to be desilted, which will be done through
discussions with the custodian of the lake, experts and the community.

Additionally several other lakes like Jakkur Lake, Kaikondrahalli Lake and Puttenahalli Lake
were visited in the city to understand the successes and failures of similar actions.

Figure 2: Desilting - Access points and stocking

Step 2: Conducting a morphometric survey

This consists of depth profiling, contour mapping, volumetric calculations, bund assessment,
lake bed boundary and other general parameters (surface area, shoreline, maximum length,
maximum width, and mean width), which will lay the basis for creation of the implementation
plan and the financing model.

Step 3: Water quality analysis

All physio-chemical parameters will be assessed in the lake, at the inlets/outlets, bore wells
in the surrounding areas and water used for irrigation by the farmers. The tentative locations
for water testing within the lake have been identified and marked in Figure 3.

MINERAL ENTERPRISES LTD. 5

 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

Figure 3: Water quality testing locations

Step 4: Creating the Implementation Plan

The implementation plan will consist of identifying access points for vehicles, temporary and
permanent stocking of silt, and construction of temporary ring drain (for diversion of water
within the lake).

The plan will also include the areas where the bund needs to be strengthened and the
defined boundary of the lakebed edge. The lake bed edge will be defined for the creation of a
lakefront development plan that includes aspects of plantation, access for weed harvesting
(for cattle) and irrigation water (for farmers), and recreation purposes.

Step 5: Social awareness and education

The lake has a massive impact on the local community living around it, this includes:

 The farming community - that relies on the water for irrigation and weeds for the
cattle feed
 Residents living around the lake – that are effected by the foam and stench from the
dying lake on a daily basis
 Schools – that are currently using the lake ecosystem and pollution to educate
children and are currently conducting several studies to study the lake

All these prime stakeholders need to be brought on board to understand the importance of
rejuvenating the lake and be engaged in a positive manner throughout the process.

Step 6: Desilting / Dry dredging

The desilting activity will be initiated only once all the site conditions (specified in 2.2) have
been completed. The area to be desilted will primarily be the shallow area of the lake which
has a large percentage of silt accumulation (Figure 4).

MINERAL ENTERPRISES LTD. 6

 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

Figure 4: Suggested area for de-silting / dry dredging

Step 7: Lakebed edge improvement and bund strengthening

In order to define the edge of the lakebed, stone pitching and compacting will be done on the
identified edges and the bund, as per the implementation plan. The silt removed in Step 4
will be used to fill in the areas according to this plan.

2.4. Timeline and status

The timeline of the project is assessed to span a duration of 6-8 months. The sequence of
the same is shown in Figure 5. A portion of the initial assessment and evaluation has
already begun. It is to be noted that the timeline is tentative and may change based on the
completion of other actions in the lake (refer 2.2), the duration of the review/approval
process, signing of the MoU and any other unforeseen circumstances.

MINERAL ENTERPRISES LTD. 7

REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

Figure 5: Tentative timeline of 'First Actions'

MINERAL ENTERPRISES LTD. 8

 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

3. Prerequisites before initiating work

As per the suggested actions mentioned and the preliminary site survey, several observations
were made on which we seek clarity, before initiating any work in the lake. This information would
be required from BDA and are listed below:

3.1. Latest contour map/bathymetric test

The contour map that was shared by the authority, was done in 2009 (BBMP DPR) and is
only in the form of a hard copy. Therefore we request clarity on the availability of latest maps
(if any) as soft editable formats (GIS/AutoCAD) and their provision if available.

3.2. Completion of fencing and demarcation of access points

The fencing though is being communicated as being complete, remains incomplete in
several locations (shown in Figure 6), which seems to be allowing open dumping of
domestic and construction waste alike. Additionally, entry/exits have not been allotted, which
will make it difficult to assess access point for undertaking the activity.

Figure 6: Open dumping taking place within the lake boundary, at places without fencing (Image
taken as of 11th Feb, 2018)

3.3. Removal of All encroachments & illegal inlets

As demarcated in the map, there still continue to be encroachments within the lake boundary
that continue to remain. We would require clarity on their removal as this will impact the
boundary considered for desilting and stocking (permanent and temporary). Additionally
there is no proper identification done of the legal and illegal inlets and outlets, which need to
be clarified and addressed on ground.

3.4. Clarity on the constructed road/pipeline, as it is blocking the entire northern

set of inlets
As we have been made aware, there is a pipeline and road being constructed within the lake
bed, in the area that we have proposed to initiate desilting (refer Figure 7). However, there
seems to be no clarity on whether this is a permanent or temporary feature, as this will
impact the desilting process as well.

MINERAL ENTERPRISES LTD. 9

 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

Figure 7: Pipeline / road construction being undertaken within the lake bed

MINERAL ENTERPRISES LTD. 10

 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

4. Conclusion and Next Steps

As captured in this report, with several unknown factors and the dependency on external actions,
the complexity and risk of intervening in Varthur Lake is extremely high. It is integral that a future
looking plan to synchronize efforts to solve the issue of lake degradation is created with
urgency.

In order to de-risk the financial investment into the lake in a way that it is impactful, it is important
that all parastatals working with the lake (KLCDA, BWSSB, BBMP, KSPCB, MI, etc.) are in sync
with the actions to be undertaken (Annexure III) and are accountable for their delivery on ground

Mineral Enterprises Ltd. will continue to work towards the possibility of intervening in the lake with
the suggested ‘First Action(s)’ based on the provision of data, clarity of external actions and
support from Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) and government agencies. However the
company is and will not be responsible for any legal implications or be answerable to any public
litigations regarding this interventions, individually or on behalf of BDA. All actions in the lake will
therefore be as permitted by and the sole responsibility of BDA.

MINERAL ENTERPRISES LTD. 11

 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

Annexure I: Permission letter from BDA to MEL to initiate work at

Varthur Lake

[AUTHOR NAME] 12
REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

[AUTHOR NAME] 13
 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

Annexure II: List of stakeholder meetings and key outcomes

Stakeholders Issue & Causality Actions taken Actions suggested

Government authorities
BDA
Mr. Veda Murthy, Only by 2020 Total 11/20 STPs have been Deweeding to be carried
Mr. Nagaraj sewage of 480 MLD will set up, 3 are being step out.
be cleaned, till then no up
action will solve the
pollution problem at
Varthur Lake
KCLDA
Seema Garg Finances for this on-going satellite Consult a Limnologist
treatment process is the mapping with ISRO before do the deweeding
biggest hurdle EMPRI helped in Meet Dr. Bela Zutshi, head
preparing an atlas of all of Zoology wing
lakes in the city Integrated water
management plan is
required
Ramprasad Primary sources of Building underground
pollutants is Domestic sewage pipelines for all
sewage buildings in the catchment
Dangerous gases are area
trapped in the lake bed
STPs isn’t suitable for
immediate consumption
Transfer of water to Kolar
leave only seasonal
rainwater and the 50 MLD
of untreated sewage to
flow
Lack of finances for
UGD
BWSSB
B.V. Satish Lack of finances for Bellandur-Amanikere STP
construction of STPs. completed by Jan 2018
STPs are not a profitable
venture.
Experts
ATREE
Sharachandra STP technology has not Hydrological data for Carry out an investigation
Lele changed in 70 years and Bellandur lake about concentration of
the standards don't look heavy metals at Varthur
for many of the chemicals lake and tracing it in the
food chain
Flow analysis for Varthur
Lake and a complete
hydrological
understanding
RO plants for better water
quality
Start Small, Start
upstream
Julong (De-weeding machine)

[AUTHOR NAME] 14
 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

Stakeholders Issue & Causality Actions taken Actions suggested

Mr.Hans Machine extracts only
floating water hyacinth,
not to remove the grass.
De Scalene (research institute)
Raja Vijaykumar Primary reason identified 4 month research work, Bellandur needs to run like
for the foaming was that simulated the lake a company, in order for it to
the natural balance of environment in the lab be sustained
lake is off and discovered that this
Due to pesticides going in foam in Varthur is a
the food and medicines stabilised foam.
we eat, there are many Seegehalli lake was
chemicals that enter into cleaned up by De scalene
sewage
Phosphine trapped in the
bottom of the lake is also
the cause of fire in the
lakes.
FEM (Water testing)
Samuel Heavy metals like Research conducted in
Rajkumar Chromium found in the the lakes of Hebbal,
lake. Vathur, Bellandur &
Peenya for Chromium
Local Community
Whitefield Rising
Ambika Sen Varthur used to be 30-35 Inventure School has set Whitefield Rising has
ft deep but now it is 6-8ft up a water lab, which was initiated the installation of
initially guided by Eco- silt traps at the inlets
paradigm Engineered wetlands at
inlets, preferable to STPs
Aqua Pure has developed
a micro system for
cleaning water
Meshing needs to be done
after de-weeding to
contain the macrophytes
growth
Jagadish Reddy Lake has deteriorated in
the past 8-12 years
Natural methods of
Weeding were adopted
earlier, where the weeds
were allowed to flow out
of the lake.

[AUTHOR NAME] 15
 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

Annexure III: Suggestive Action Plan for the Revival of Varthur Lake

Based on several consultations with experts, government officials, citizen bodies and locals, an
integrated action plan was developed by MEL hired think-tank. This action plan is suggestive and was
developed keeping in mind the revival of Bellandur Lake and will be highly influenced by the same. A
new factor that was suggested, is the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the
rejuvenation of Varthur Lake. The 3 Phase Action Plan and subsequent activities are listed in the
table below.

Sl.No. Activity Timeline

Protecting the lake in order to then initiate its
Phase I: 6 - 8 months
unhindered revival
1 Removal of Encroachments
2 Completion of Fencing and Entrance Gates
3 Closure of illegal inlets
4 Assessment & reporting of non-compliant Apartments & STPs
5 Desilting (Stage I) Action by MEL
6 Bund strengthening & lake bed edge (incl. stone pitching) Action by MEL
7 Inlet and Outlet treatment
8 Installation of Silt Traps
9 Installation of Aerators for water treatment
10 Restoration of damaged waste weir
11 Monitoring and reporting
Water quality monitors (live monitoring)
Flow monitoring
CCTV cameras linked to WR office/BDA
12 Security
Homeguards
Prahari Vigilance Vehicle
13 Maintenance (Cleaning of Silt Traps)

Phase II: Developing a Tactical & Integrated Strategy 8 - 10 months

14 Setting up of SPV
15 Assessment studies & reports
Social integration (weed harvesting as cattle feed, water for
irrigation, recreation etc.)
Environment & Health Impact
Integrated Water Management
16 KC Valley Action Plan
Detailed Project Report for Revival and Rejuvenation of
17
Varthur Lake

Phase III: Revival and Rejuvenation of Varthur Lake 1 - 3 years

18 Dredging (Stage II)

19 Treatment of Sewage entering the lake

[AUTHOR NAME] 16
 REVIVAL OF VARTHUR LAKE: PROPOSED FIRST ACTIONS

Sl.No. Activity Timeline

Community / Inlet STP
Wetland Construction
20 Lakefront and Island development
21 Activating the Lakefront
22 Setting up a Water Treatment Plant

[AUTHOR NAME] 17