For many communities that live around the city's lakes, fishing was a livelihood till the pollution in the water prevented them from fishing.
Many people who love fishing head out of Bengaluru to places like Bheemeshwari where the Mahseer fish is famous. Now, it looks like those living in the city can actually fish in the lakes around it because there are no state laws that prohibit this activity. Though fishing as a hobby may not be illegal, the city's lakes are dirty, polluted and the fish are not fit for consumption, say citizens of Bengaluru.
The Ulsuru lake, Ullal Lake, Malathalli Lake and Kengeri Lake are some of the well-known lakes. Ace photographer Waseem Khan says, “I'm not into fishing but even if I was, Bengaluru's lakes are toxic and I wouldn’t even be tempted to do so at all!”
Other also have a similar opinion. Activist Raghu Tenkayala, who has worked for numerous issues, laments, “Most lakes in Bengaluru have turned into cesspools of sewage. Very few lakes have sewage treatment plants next to them. Madiwala Lake has a sewage treatment plant next to it but it doesn’t have the required capacity. The clean-up of Jakkur lake was a success thanks to the Indian Institute of Science's initiative, Integrated Wetland System. The quality of water here is decent and suitable for fishing. All the other lakes have sewage flowing into it and thus the fish are obviously toxic and unhealthy!”
For many communities that live around the city's lakes, fishing was a livelihood till the pollution in the water prevented them from fishing. “Fishing happens in Lalbagh Lake but how healthy are the fish? Has the Fisheries Department ever conducted tests to see how healthy the fish are and whether they can be consumed?” asks Tenkayala.
The Fisheries Department says that fishing is being carried out in 168 tanks but citizens say that these arlocated in the periphery of the city. While the city's Fisheries Department may be eager to see more people fishing in the lakes, the civic authorities first need to clean up all the lakes in the city and improve the water quality not just for the fish but also for people to fish say citizens.
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 "Ullal lake, Bengaluru")
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