| DECCAN HERALD |
| Tuesday, January 23, 2001 |
From Daksha Hathi DH News Service BANGALORE, Jan23 The case of Bangalore's rapidly disappearing water bodies has again surfaced due to a recent study done by the Indian Institute of Science's Centre for Ecological Sciences. Scientists Deepa R S, T V Ramachandra and Kiran R have found that Bangalore supported 379 water bodies in 1973. Of these, 138 were distributed in the north and 241 in the south. This has been reduced to 96 in the north and 150 in the south of Bangalore. The study reveals an overall decrease of 35.09 percent in the number of water bodies. The reduction in the water spread area from 49.56 sq. kms in 1973 to the present 45.26 per cent sq km accounts for a 8.66 per cent decrease in water spread area, says the CES. The majority of Bangalore's wetlands are located on the City's |
outskirts. The explosive increase in the City's growth from around 67 sq. km in 1961 to over six times that area today has spelled the ruin of many of its major lakes. The number of man-made wet- lands in the BCC and BDA areas has fallen from 262 in 1960 to around 81 lakes at present, warns the study which was funded by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. In 1870 Bangalore Cantonment with an area of about 40 sq kms had sup- ported 29 water bodies. Here major tanks like Dharmambundhi, Ulsoor, Shuley, Miller and Chelaghatta tanks met the daily drinking re- quirements of the people. Results from the study showed a 93 per cent decrease in the number of water bodies over a period of 100 years. Tanks were lost to urbani- sation - Darmombudi became a bus stand, Millers tank a resi- |
dential layout, Sampangi tank gave way to Kanteerava stadium, Chelaghatta into a golf course, Shuleh tank became a football Stadium and Koramangala tank became a sports complex. Several tanks have been breached as part of the malaria eradication pro- gramme and used for buildings. They are Subhashnagar tank bed, Miller tank bed, Akkithimanahalli tank bed, Kurubarahalli tank bed, Kodihalli tank bed and Sinivagilu tank bed. The Government has al- lotted the following tank beds to in- stitutions: Nagasettyhalli allotted to the space department, Kodugundanahalli to the Ambedkar Medical College, Kodihalli to the space department and Challghatta to the KSTDC for a golf course. There is more bad news. The percentage of dry tanks found in the North of Bangalore was about 61 percent and in the south, 76 percent. This accounts for an overall 66.07 percent of the |
tanks. The main causes being re- moval of vegetation in the catchment area and its resultant disruption. Siltation has reduced their water storing capacities. Many of the dry tanks have been encroached on for agriculture. The study warns that due to conversion and encroachment of two major wetlands, connectivity between Yelchenahalli kere and Madivala has been lost. The drainage network between Bellandur and Ulsoor too has been Lost with the conversion of Challaghatta tank into a golf Course. The results show that due to development activities in the catchment area, the drainage con- nectivity between important wet- lands have been lost. This has re- sulted in a loss and shrinkage of wetlands leading to the de- struction and loss of habitat for flora, fauna and migratory birds. There has also been a depletion in the ground water table. |