CONSERVE NATURE - PROTECT LAKES, COMMUNITY HEALTH

Bangalore city is the capital of Karnataka with a population of about 42 lakh people. Magadi Kempegowda founded it in 1550's. It has the distinction of being called the " Garden City". Bangalore's topography is full of valley and ridges and lakes. There are no rivers flowing through it. Bangalore, is the fifth largest city in India. Like other major urban centers, it has problems in meeting the increasing demand for water. In the absence dependable water source, there is an urgent need to formulate strategies to conserve the available water. It is also necessary to protect and maintain the lakes in and around the city to ensure good water table. There is also a need for regulating and controlling the use of underground water.

From Bangalore City, about 18 kms south, lies "Varthur", a virgin village with a population about 15,000 people. The village attracts many passers- by because of its large lake spread over an area of 2.5 sq. km. The road from HAL airport which leads to Varthur wind over a tank bund on this magnificient lake, the drive is such an exhilarating experience that you forget that you are in Bangalore. This lake was once a dwelling for a variety of fish, aquatic plants, nest for aquatic birds like the green cranes, white cranes, water hens and blue cranes that helped in maintaining a balance in the ecosystem.

Today the same is polluted and is almost a dead lake. It is also polluting the ground water. It serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. So an attempt has been made to restore the lake and protect the ecosystem, which in turn will help in community development and also maintain an eco-balance.

The lake, located 18 kms from Bangalore city, is approximately 2.5 sq. km, which is about 500 acres in area. The depth at the periphery of the tank ranges from 6 to 8 feet, 15 to 16 feet at the center and 3 to 4 feet on the other side. There is agricultural activity all around the lake. Paddy, vegetables, greens and coconuts are grown. The main sources of water to this lake are rainwater, over flow water from Bellandur lake, and storm water drains of Bangalore city. When the lake overflows, water discharges into the south Pennar river.

A foul smell emanates from the lake due to the hydrogen sulphide gas, formed when organic matter forms sulphides in the anaerobic condition. The color of water is greenish. Hydrophyte growth is seen in many places. The main source of pollution to the lake is the discharge of sewage from the Bangalore city.

Lakes have an important role in the recharge of ground water. Lakes are vital part of the ecosystems of any country and provide aesthetic enjoyment and recreational potential. Varthur lake water is used for irrigation. Plants, do grow well, but the colour of the leaves has changed to yellow (Chlorosis). The farmers grow carrot, Beetroot, Radish, green leafy vegetables etc. and wash their products in the polluted water. Most of these vegetables are eaten raw as salads, which may lead to infection and viral attacks. The need for the study arose because the government has not taken any effective steps to conserve the Varthur lake. If the lake is left in its present condition the aquatic ecosystem will be replaced by terrestrial ecosystem.

Varthur lake is fed by the discharge from the Bellandur tank. Two storm water drains or valleys feed Bellandur lake - one coming from Kormangala and Challagatta and the other from Fraser town. This storm water drains carry water from Fraser town, Ulsoor lake, Indiranagar , Domulur and into Bellandur lake on one side. The BTM layout, Madivala, Austin town, Koramangala, Agara drain water into the Bellandur lake from the other side. The sewage gets mixed with storm water drains due to the following reasons:

The water was collected from north, south, east and south- east of the lake in sterile bottles and sent for analysis to the Department of Environmental Science and Microbiology of St.Joseph's College, Bangalore within 45 minutes of collection. The table given below shows the results of physico- chemical and Bacteriological examination of Varthur lake.

S.No	Parameters	North	South	East	South – East	Standard
1	PH	8.05	7.60	8.41	7.93	6 – 8.5
2	EC m S/ cm	745	717	685	726	300
3	Turbidity	12.2	13	20	18.0	5
4	Total solids	266	688	412	700	500
5	D.O.	5.85	6.17	6.5	6.17	5
6	Nitrate	1.6	1.6	1.2	0.8	4.5
7	Phosphate	1.64	1.02	2.5	1.85	0.15
8	Potassium	1.8	1.7	1.75	1.75	10
9	MPN/ 100ml	>2500	>2500	>2500	>2500	< 5/100ml
10	Zooplankton	Moina	-	-	-	-

As the water polluted with feacal matter, it is not suitable for potable purpose (MPN Index >2500/100 ml). It also contains bacteria such as Bacillus subtitlis, E.Coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The presence of the crustacean - Moina checks the population of bacterial members at north point. The lake is enriched with phosphate, which promotes the 'algal bloom'. The presence of polluted water algae- chlorella gives green colouration to the lake.

Diferent physico-chemical parameters were analysed, which basically determines the quality of water. The pH of the water samples collected from the lake was found to be within standard limits i.e., 6-8.5. The electrical conductivity of water was found to be 2 times more than the standard (i.e., 300 mS/cm at 25°C) which may be due to the presence of different kinds of pollutants in the sewage that is discharged untreated. The turbidity in the water samples is also found to be very high compared to the standard, which is 5 NTU. This may be due to high amount of silt, planktons etc. The dissolved oxygen levels is quite less and as a result the water is not suitable for fish culture. The concentration of phosphates in the samples is very high compared to the standard (0.15mg/L). The presence of the phosphates in the water of the lake is supporting the growth of algae (Chlorella). As a result the algal population is thriving well. This leads to algal blooms, which can be seen on the surface of the water. As a result of this the water is turbid and the decay of the organic matter helps in the emanation of hydrogen sulphide. The nitrate concentration in the water of the lake is lower than the standard, which is 4.5 mg/L. Thus the results indicate that the lake is in a eutrophic state.

The microbial examinations of water samples from the Varthur lake shows that the water is fecally contaminated, hence it is not potable for drinking purposes. The different types of bacteria, which were found to be very common in the samples, are Bacillus subtitles, E.coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus aureus is found to be predominant in the water samples. Since the lake water is used for washing clothes, bathing, washing vegetables and most of the children are found swimming in the lake, there is a high risk of bacterial infection, as it acts as an opportunistic pathogen in person with lower antimicrobial defenses. Staphylococcus aureus brings about many infections out of which a few of them are commonly seen among children and other masses of Varthur. The infections observed are:

Impetigo: Commonly seen among young children. It affects the face and limbs. The symptoms of the disease include a small red spot, which later develops into pus filled vesicle, which ruptures.

Folliculitis: This is the infection of the hair follicle, which occurs at the base of the eyelid. This is also called stye.

Ostramycilitis: This is common among the children of the village. This is the infection of growing bones. The symptoms include localised pain and fever. Among adults it causes back pain with high fever.

Bronchopneumonia: Primary infection is by virus and Staphylococcus aureus is the secondary invader, which is common.

Septic arthritis: Staphylococcus aureus causes septic arthritis in children and also in adults. The symptoms include infection and swelling of the joints. This is very common among the children and adults of the village. The other infections caused by these bacteria are

Endocarditis (Infected heart valves)

Cystitis (Infected urinary bladder)

Nephritis (Inflammation of the Kidneys)

Mastitis (Infection of the Udders of cow and goat.

E.coli: All persons have a rich flora of E.coli in the lower part of their small intestine that is Ileum. When E.coli is outside the intestine it is pathogenic. The mode of transmission of E. coli is through the faecas. The presence of E. coli is greater than the standard in the Varthur lake. Hence it can be concluded that the lake water is faecally polluted to a large extent. Survey conducted among the doctors in the village shows that gastroentrites is very common among the people (especially with children upto two years).

Bacillus subtilis: It is one of the bactera, which is known to cause many diseases in humans and cattle. If the pollution of the lake water is not taken care of, within a few years from now the lake will be polluted to such an extent that it will be unfit for many uses. And ultimately the ongoing process of eutrophication will convert this beautiful part of Bangalore into a dead lake. Apart from turning into a dead lake it is causing a lot of negative impact on the people of the neighborhood.

THE EFFECT ON COMMUNITY:

Swarms of mosquitoes storm the houses and the cattle sheds. They infect and carry many diseases like malaria, filarasis and dengue fever.

The underground water table is being contaminated. The sample water supplied by the village panchayath has revealed the result.

Increased health hazards: Most of the people suffer from Gastro entrites, amoebiosis, enteric fever and hepatitis A infections. Keeping in view the above facts the drinking water supplies were tested and analysed. The drinking water is supplied by the village panchayath through four borewells of which three are located within 500 meters of the lake, hence the water samples were analysed.

Sample- Borewell	I	II	III	IV	V
Parameter	I	II	III	IV	V
pH	6.85	6.69	6.83	6.29	6.75
Hardness (mg/L)	910	960	860	650	640
Turbidity	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05
MPN/100ml	0-0-0	0-0-0	2-2-0	0-0-0	0-0-0

The given water samples are classified as hard based on calcium and magnesium levels, ie., the values are above 250 mg/L. Turbidity and pH are within permissible limits. Only the III sample showed positive results for E.coli MPN index.

In the survey of doctors practising in Varthur, two doctors of Primary Health Centre and four private practitioners were asked to furnish the following information.

a) Number of patients they treat per day.
b) Common ailments treated
c) Specific diseases / infections prevalent etc.

The results of the survey are as follows: Almost all the doctors (100 %) opined that the most common specific infectious disease prevalent in this area is Gastroenteritis, Hepatitis A, dysentry and vomitting which is a clear sign of drinking water contamination. As many as 100 - 125 cases are treated monthly. Secondly all the doctors were of the opinion that the most common infection is fever and they treated nearly 250 - 300 patients for "enteric fever" weekly. This is a clear indication of infections carried by mosquitoes. The lake provides habitat for breeding mosquitoes. Hence it is causing a threat to the lives of local people and the community is suffering.

SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM:

The lakes over the years have played a key role in maintaining a salubrious climate for which Bangalore is famous. This lake needs to be protected for a healthy co-existence and to maintain ecological balance. Hence the following measures are suggested.

a) Short - Term Measures:

Avoiding the flow of sewage into the storm water drains by educating the people about sanitation.

Providing additional traps along the upper reaches of the drain.

Providing bar screens at the mouth of the lake for drains.

De- weeding of the lake.

The drinking water to be treated with chlorine (Chlorination) to avoid contamination and purify the water.

Bring public awareness - educate the people to boil the water before drinking.

Rearing special kind of fish, which feed on the dirt in the lake.

Introducing gambusia fish into the lake to feed on the mosquito larvae.

Banning or earmarking of a specific area for the immersion of idols during festivals.

Creating public awareness to keep the lake clean with signboards.

Formation of a lake protection committee involving the local people.

Educate people not to wash greens and vegetables in the lake water.

Our motto is to conserve Mother Nature so eco-balance is maintained. The principle adopted should be "Live and Let Live: Conserve Nature - Be Prosperous". We are fouling our own nest. If the lake is not saved, it will age and die a premature death.

The Bangalore Water supply and Sewerage Board has submitted a report to the state government and is awaiting the approval. Committees comprising of students should be set up to educate the villagers the hazards of polluting the lake. The school should adopt different areas of the village to propagate the corrective measures of health and hygiene. To keep a strict vigil on the farmers so that they do not wash greens and vegetables in the lake water. The school can organize public awareness programs by inviting NGOs to help in the conservation of the lake. After preserving the lake by cleaning it, the water can be used for many purposes. The health of the people will improve. Varthur will become a recreational centre to the urban population for boating, fishing and swimming.

Mr. M.A.Khan, Dr.R.Venkatraman, Mr. Ebenzer Wilson, Mrs. Helen Roselin, Mr. M.Z. Khan, Mrs. Alli Rani and Mrs. Geetha Vishwanath are thanked for the help and encouragement rendered for the successful completion of the project.