Expressing serious concern over the pollution of Mysuru’s five major lakes, the Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) has called for a master plan to revamp the city’s inadequate sewage infrastructure and address the crisis facing the water bodies.

Ahead of its monthly meeting scheduled for Sunday, MGP said Kukkarahalli, Lingambudhi, Thipparayana, Karanji and Hebbal lakes are being polluted by sewage flowing through stormwater drains, posing a serious threat to the prime water bodies.

A press release by MGP said Mysuru’s sewage system was originally designed to cater to individual houses. However, the rapid growth of multi-storeyed apartment complexes across the city has significantly increased sewage generation, overloading the existing infrastructure. As a result, untreated sewage frequently overflows into stormwater drains, which eventually discharge into the lakes. In some areas, building owners have allegedly connected sewage lines directly to stormwater drains.

MGP cited Hebbal Lake as a glaring example of the problem, stating that two major stormwater drain inlets discharge sewage into the lake, effectively turning it into a sewage pond. This is despite the presence of a modern Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) that efficiently treats sewage from households connected to the city’s underground drainage network.

The organisation highlighted the situation at Thipparayana Lake, where an STP has not been constructed to the required capacity and alleged that the existing facility was not functioning effectively.

To discuss the issue of lake pollution, MGP has invited officials from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and Vani Vilas Water Works (VVWW) to participate in its monthly meeting. Environmental Officer Shruthi from KSPCB and Executive Engineers Shrinivasamurthy and Mohan Kumar from VVWW are expected to attend the discussion, the release said.

MGP said the meeting aims to bring the need for a master plan for the city’s sewage infrastructure. It observed that while the city’s annual budget currently allocates around Rs. 50 crore for sewage-related works, the actual requirement for exceeds Rs. 1,500 crore, it claimed.

The meeting will be held at MGP’s office on Vivekananda Road in Yadavagiri on Sunday at 4 p.m. Citizens wishing to raise questions have been requested to send them in advance by email to mygrapa@gmail.com or contact the organisation at 0821-2515150.