Latest news with #Jaldost
Time of India
27-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Use & throw nightmare
A fridge fished out of a Bengaluru lake tells us what's in store as upgrades replace repairs in consumer culture It's true, Bengaluru's lakes sometimes catch fire. Because there's so much garbage that it simply overwhelms the water. This sight, if not the fires, at least not so far, is a familiar one at water bodies across the country. What feels even more overwhelming is how every cleanup points to the need for bigger and better efforts. At Madiwala lake, which suffers a severe water hyacinth infestation, an airboat called Jaldost, designed by the National Aerospace Laboratories, has already pulled out over 20 tonnes of waste. But what all makes up this waste? Not just weeds. Not just plastic bags. But also mugs, books, pens, steel vessels. Both at home and at work, our dustbins are growing larger and larger. The detritus of modern life overflows. The garbage mounds lining our highways and railway tracks and culverts that we are constantly photoshopping out of our selfies, are the result of govts slacking. They have totally fallen out of step with how much, how fast today's Indians consume and create waste. Once, we used to marvel at bicycles being discarded into Amsterdam's canals. Today, Jaldost has fished out a refrigerator from Madiwala lake. We haven't embraced DIY culture with nearly the same enthusiasm. In India it's still possible to comfortably find someone to repair a shoe or an air-conditioner, to reupholster the family sofa, to appreciate a hand-me-down silk sari or door or carpet or book. Our neighbourhoods still have carpenters, cobblers, tailors, mechanics, carrying forward our reuse and recycle heritage. Of course the less it's patronised the faster it will die, and as that Madiwala fridge tells us, so will our lakes and forests. Imagine all our refuse and rubbish invading all our surroundings like relentless water hyacinth. Have a rethink. Choose repairing over replacing. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
Time of India
27-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Double-door fridge & steel vessels: Aerospace tech-powered weed-clearing machine uncovers bizarre finds in Bengaluru lake
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Popular in Bengaluru News 1. Bengaluru woman breaks down her monthly costs on Reddit, says she saves Rs 1 lakh every month; post goes viral The Role of Jaldost in Lake Cleanup In an unexpected discovery, a double-door refrigerator was pulled out of Madiwala Lake on Friday evening during a routine de-weeding operation. The de-weeding team, known as Jaldost and operated by the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), unearthed the appliance while clearing out overgrown water weeds. This bizarre find was just one of many items retrieved, turning the lake into what locals describe as a "miniature junkyard", a TOI report Jaldost machine , which specialises in removing weeds and debris from water bodies, has been working at Madiwala Lake to improve its condition. Among the items recovered, apart from the refrigerator, were plastic bags, milk packets, steel vessels, books, and even pens. While the Jaldost machine is efficient at clearing large biomass, experts and local residents pointed out that proper waste disposal responsibility lies with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).T. Karthikeyan, Senior Principal Scientist at NAL, described the Jaldost machine's capabilities, stating, 'Each scoop can lift objects as tall as 6-7 feet and weighing up to 3-4 tonnes.' He went on to highlight the progress so far: 'We've pulled over 20 tonnes of waste, mostly hyacinth and garbage. This includes a wide range of materials, from metal to plastic and even a refrigerator. We're curious to see what else we might uncover when we finish cleaning the lake.'The process began when the Jaldost machine hit a "rock-like structure" while de-weeding a smaller section of the lake. On further investigation, the operator found it to be a heavy refrigerator surrounded by silt and weeds. Karthikeyan elaborated, 'When the operator tried to lift it, the refrigerator was much heavier than expected.'Once the waste is removed, the Jaldost operator dumps it near the lake's edge, where BBMP is responsible for proper disposal. Karthikeyan noted that the extracted biomass could be repurposed for various uses such as paper, cardboard, handwoven products, or even biofuels. However, without a clear plan for managing the large volume of waste, these opportunities remain BBMP has yet to take urgent action to manage the growing piles of garbage, residents continue to deal with the aftermath of years of neglect. Nithin Shetty, a local resident, expressed concern, stating, 'If refrigerators and steel vessels are coming out of the lake, just imagine what else is down there.' Another resident, Naveen Reddy, added, 'BBMP has ignored the lake for a long time. They should first monitor it and penalize those who dump waste here. We might find a sofa set next!'Regarding waste segregation, an official from Bangalore Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) mentioned that while garbage is being collected, segregation is difficult due to the sheer volume of de-weeding machine used at Madiwala Lake, Jaldost Mark 2, was developed by NAL as a spinoff from aerospace technology. This lightweight machine, controlled by hydraulic systems, is designed to handle heavy biomass loads and is capable of operating in lakes as deep as 30 feet, although a minimum depth of 2 feet is needed for effective use. Jaldost was introduced in 2020 after BBMP approached NAL for a de-weeding solution, and it was officially launched in 2023. Its first deployment was at Gottigere Lake, where it cleared 35 acres of hyacinth in just a month. Following its success, BBMP rolled out Jaldost at Madiwala Lake last cleanup operation at Madiwala Lake is ongoing, but concerns about waste management remain. Without a clear plan for handling the large quantities of waste being removed, the potential benefits of the cleanup are not fully the cleanup continues, the community and experts alike are urging BBMP to take responsibility for the waste and ensure proper disposal to prevent further degradation of the lake.
Time of India
26-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
De-weeding operation at Bengaluru's Madiwala Lake throws up refrigerator
Bengaluru: In a bizarre discovery, a double-door refrigerator was fished out of Madiwala Lake during a de-weeding operation Friday evening. A Jaldost team, operating under the banner of National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), stumbled upon the unexpected 'catch' while clearing overgrown water weeds. The refrigerator wasn't alone in its watery grave. Among the other items retrieved were heaps of plastic bags, milk packets, mugs, books, pens, and even steel vessels, turning the lake into what locals call a 'miniature junkyard'. While the Jaldost — the de-weeding machine — is adept at removing weeds and debris from water, NAL officials and residents pointed out that the responsibility of waste disposal lies with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). "Each scoop can lift objects as tall as 6-7ft and weighing up to 3-4 tonnes," said T Karthikeyan, senior principal scientist at NAL. "So far, we've pulled over 20 tonnes of waste, the majority of which was hyacinth and garbage. This includes all sorts of waste from metal to plastic to a refrigerator. We're now wondering what all we might get when we completely clear the lake." Elaborating on finding the refrigerator, Karthikeyan added, "While our operators were de-weeding a small part of the lake, as the Jaldost machine went inside and started to clean, it hit a hard rock-like structure. On slowly trying to lift it, the operator realised it was heavy. When he pulled it out, he realised there was a refrigerator with loads of weeds and silt inside it." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Elevate Business Writing With This Desktop App Grammarly Learn More Undo Lack of clear plan Once the de-weeding is done and waste lifted, the Jaldost operator dumps it near the lake and into trucks, and BBMP needs to discard it appropriately. "The extracted biomass can be put to good use — processed into paper, cardboard, handwoven products, or even biofuels. However, without a clear plan for handling the massive volumes of waste, the opportunity is being wasted," Karthikeyan told TOI. So far, BBMP has shown little urgency in clearing the growing piles of weeds and garbage collected at the lake's edges. Locals, meanwhile, are left grappling with the aftermath of decades of neglect. "If refrigerators and steel vessels are emerging from the lake, one can only imagine what lies beneath," said Nithin Shetty, a resident of BTM Layout and frequent visitor to Madiwala Lake. Another resident, Naveen Reddy, said, "BBMP has been ignorant about this lake for quite a while. They should first monitor the lake and penalise everyone dumping waste in it. We might find a sofa set soon in this lake. BBMP should be penalised for this." When asked about waste segregation, Bangalore Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) officials the garbage is being collected but they haven't segregated it. "There is too much waste to be segregated," an official said. HOW JALDOST CAME ABOUT The de-weeding work at Madiwala Lake is being carried out using Jaldost Mark 2 , a machine developed by NAL as a spin-off from aerospace technology. Built with lightweight materials and controlled by hydraulic systems similar to those used in aircraft, it is designed to tackle heavy biomass loads. Sources explained the machine can operate in lakes with a depth of up to 30ft, thought a minimum of 2ft is needed for effective use. The Jaldost project was initiated in 2020 after BBMP approached NAL with specifications for a de-weeding solution. Following extensive testing, the machine was launched in 2023 across various lakes. Its first official deployment was at Gottigere Lake, where it successfully cleared 35 acres of hyacinth in just a month. Impressed by the results, BBMP deployed the machine at Madiwala Lake last week.
