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Time of India

Report reveals worst water quality in 47 lakes

water quality report Karnataka State Pollution Control Board lake management goals National Water Monitoring Program National Green Tribunal The recentby the(KSPCB) has highlighted that nearly 41% of Bengaluru's lakes are highly polluted. While 115 water bodies were tested for 34 parameters, 47 were categorised under Class E, the worst water quality possible. The number of lakes with the worst water quality in January this year was 33, while in February the number rose to lake activists said that it is disappointing that none of theare being met despite the Centre's ongoing(NWMP). Bengaluru lakes are still under threat from various issues, including unabated encroachment, entry of sewage, and a lack of basic the country's Water Act mandates a comprehensive program to prevent and control pollution of water bodies, experts opined that this aspect has always been missing with the KSPCB. The board has only been monitoring the water quality of lakes without taking any action against the sad state of Bengaluru's lakes has drawn the attention of the(NGT) on multiple occasions in the past. In one of the instances, following a news report by BM last year, the tribunal had issued notices to KSPCB, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), and Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA) due to critically low oxygen levels (below detection level) in 12 out of 117 lakes that were checked by the number of lakes classified as Class E has risen compared to earlier this year, KSPCB data indicates a decline in the overall count of polluted lakes in the corresponding period in 2024 and 2023, nearly 50% of the lakes studied were found to be heavily polluted.'The number of lakes with Class E water quality keeps fluctuating, and there is not much difference between 52 lakes with the worst water quality last year in comparison to 47 lakes this year. The rest of the water bodies fall under class D,' said a city-based lake activist, highlighting that not even a single lake being monitored by KSPCB has Class B or Class C water quality. 'The Pollution Control Board has failed in its duties,' said the activist.