Ulsoor lake pollution

Ulsoor lake pollution 

• The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the constitution of a joint committee to take water samples from Bengaluru’s Ulsoor lake and neighboring areas to ascertain whether the lake is being polluted owing to illegal activity. 
• It also tasked the panel with carrying out an analysis of the water in the lake
• The water analysis should include not only Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) limit, but also the Total Coliforms and Faecal Coliforms and also the presence of any heavy metals like Arsenic, Phosphorus, etc., which are likely to affect the human health and, if such things are found, suggest the remedial measures required to restore the water quality in that area
• The water quality had come down owing to illegal activities being carried out while discharging untreated sewage, effluents and the dumping of garbage into the waterbody, affecting the quality of the water and the ecology and aquatic life, much required for ecological sustenance.
• If the quality of the water in the lake is affected, it will automatically reflect in the groundwater quality, which in turn affects the health of the people who are likely to consume the poor quality of water, which is not in conformity with the norms provided for drinking purpose

Source: The Hindu