Trash, toxins and sewage: The state of Dakshina Pinakini
Near Siddhartha Layout in Kadugodi, the Dakshina Pinakini River resembles a swamp. There is a sprawling garbage dump on the riverbank, and sacks of waste
Near Siddhartha Layout in Kadugodi, the Dakshina Pinakini River resembles a swamp. There is a sprawling garbage dump on the riverbank, and sacks of waste spill into the water, which is now almost entirely covered by a dense carpet of water hyacinth. A row of makeshift toilets line the concrete wall of the Rajakaluve, discharging raw sewage directly into the channel that flows into the river. The river is murky and lifeless. The children playing on it are unaware of the health risks that prolonged exposure to polluted water could bring. The children of migrant workers who live and work in the garbage dump continue to frolic in the river, paddling their makeshift rafts. Dakshina Pinakini is yet another casualty of Bengaluru’s rapid and unmindful urban expansion, choked by sewage, industrial effluents and the staggering quantities of solid waste the city throws up every day. Seasonal to perennial A seasonal river once, Dakshina Pinakini flows today perennially due to the continuous inflow of treated, untreated and partially treated wastewater. “We used to go swimming in the river when we were kids. Not anymore,” says 39-year-old Hemanth, who was born and raised in the area. Originating in Nandi Hills and draining into the Bay of Bengal after flowing through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Dakshina Pinakini, flowing along the eastern periphery of Bengaluru, was a water source for the locals before the city’s borders expanded. Kadugodi residents remember a time when paddy, millets and guava were widely grown in the area.
“The water in the river was used for washing clothes and irrigation earlier. The river filled up seasonally with rainwater. Now there is always water, only that it is sewage,” says Ratnamma, who is grazing her goats nearby. Increasing pollution load The major pollutant remains domestic sewage, which enters the river through the Varthur series of lakes, says Vishwanath S., urban planner and water expert. However, he adds that the industrial component among pollutants has been increasing, with small industrial units illegally letting their effluents into the river. According to him, the construction of diversion channels around Bellandur and Varthur lakes, which previously acted as the river’s filters, has increased the pollution load carried by the Dakshina Pinakini. “Previously Bellandur and Varthur lakes acted as wetlands remediating a lot of the pollution and preventing them from reaching the river. Now both of them have bypass channels. So, the remediating influence of both Bellandur and Varthur is gone. That’s one of the reasons why the river is now increasingly getting the burden of pollution.” Growing piles of garbage Recently, Bengaluru East Corporation seized six trucks allegedly involved in dumping garbage in areas adjoining the river. While GBA officials say that legal proceedings have been initiated against those involved, including the landowners who reportedly allowed waste to be dumped on their properties, a visit to the area revealed that the mounds of waste continue to grow. A walk in the dumping yard reveals mostly domestic waste — takeaway boxes, bottles, containers, other plastic items, sandals, briefcases, packing material, and polystyrene foam, among others.
The BriefWire