Sewage water pollutes Ennehole lake near Mysuru

Mysuru: Ennehole lake on the outskirts of Mysuru city has become highly polluted as authorities turn a blind eye to wastewater entering it. Decades ago the farmers surrounding the lake used to grow paddy in 650 acres. But pollution in the lake has forced them to switch over to vegetables, sugarcane and ginger.

The lake is spread over 176 acres. Sewage water from Bogadi, Vijayanagara, Saraswatipura, Kuvempunagar, Gangotri layout, Sri Rampura, JP Nagara and Mahadevapura flow into Ennehole. The lake water is being used by Dadada Halli, Sindhuvalli, Kalalavadi and Udbhur villages for non-drinking purposes. Owing to lack of coordination among Sri Rampura, Udbhur and Sinduvalli gram panchayats, the lake is filled with silt and the water is unfit for consumption even for cattle. As if pollution was not enough to kill the lake, villagers rue that more than 60 acres of Ennehole land is encroached by land sharks.

A water purifying unit has been set up Ryanakere. But villagers say the unit is not purifying the wastewater efficiently. The water from the lake flows into Kapila river and pollutes it too.

The ramifications of pollution are mosquito menace and unbearable stink from the lake which give villagers a hard time.

Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) assistant engineer Dhanush told The Hans India that a wastewater management unit was established in Rayanakere with a capacity of 6 crore litres. The water is being purified in two stages before being let into the lake. He denied that wastewater is being allowed to flow into the lake.

Jayapura revenue office deputy tahsildar Manjunath said that the lake land has three survey numbers. "We have information about encroachment. We will evict the encroacher after the survey. Sindhuvalli Gram Panchayat development officer Ravi Kumar said that earlier the lake was used for fishing. But due to pollution, there is hardly any fish in the water.