A Dry Lake Is Not a Dead Lake - a post by GreeOgre

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Recent images of Bengaluru's drying lakes have sparked public concern. However, a dry lake is not necessarily a dying one. Many urban lakes in India are naturally seasonal, rain-fed wetlands, designed to fill during the monsoon and recede during the dry months. Seasonal drying is an integral part of their ecological cycle.

As Bengaluru undergoes administrative restructuring under the Greater Bengaluru Authority, efforts are also underway by the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to augment several lakes with treated wastewater from sewage treatment plants (STPs). While this approach aims to maintain water levels and reduce sewage discharge into water bodies, ecologists have raised concerns about its long-term ecological consequences. Treated wastewater may differ from natural rainwater in its chemical and microbial composition, potentially altering wetland ecosystems and affecting native biodiversity.

The city's flooding challenges are also often linked to its lakes. However, many experts argue that the larger issue is the degradation and encroachment of rajakaluves—the interconnected network of overflow channels that allow lakes to function as a system. Protecting these waterways and enforcing lake buffer zones may be more effective in reducing flood risk than simply keeping lakes permanently full.

Saul Kere illustrates this debate. Home to more than 215 recorded bird species, it is one of Bengaluru's richest urban wetland habitats. A proposed large-capacity STP near the lake has prompted concerns among residents and environmentalists, who fear that maintaining artificially high water levels and expanding infrastructure within the lake precinct could alter its natural ecology and affect wildlife. They instead advocate locating such facilities outside ecologically sensitive buffer zones.

The recent drying of Saul Kere has reinforced a common misconception that an empty lake has failed. In reality, many wetlands naturally dry and regenerate with seasonal rainfall. The broader challenge is not whether a lake holds water throughout the year, but whether its natural hydrology, biodiversity, and connecting waterways are protected. As Bengaluru plans the future of its lakes, balancing wastewater management with ecological conservation will be essential to preserving these valuable urban ecosystems.


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