Polluted lake spits foam at bikers in Karnataka

Varthur Lake looks like a big, foamy bath tub and bikers passing by fume as flying foam lands on their face and hands.   
Dirty water containing saturated chemicals and acid is increasingly turning the water body foamy.

“Over the last five to six years, this is causing a serious problem. Previously, water of this lake was used for drinking and agricultural purposes. Farmers used to get 100% yield. But over the last two years, the yield has fallen to 30% to 40% due to water contamination,” said P Vasudev, former panchayat member and resident of Varthur.

Rice is particularly grown in the area. When planted, the crop grows up to 2.5 ft. But now, only the chaff is available and 20% to 30%  is usable. The rest goes waste.

For bikers, this flying froth is a nuisance.  “It is distracting when the foam keeps hitting our face. At times, it goes straight into your eyes. If the traffic is less, one can quickly pass by the lake avoiding the foam. But when traffic is heavy, the froth constantly hitting one’s face is quite irritating,” said Satish Kumar, a resident.