What lurks in Bengaluru's Madiwala Lake? A refrigerator full of weeds, and...'

In an unexpected turn of events, a double-door refrigerator was pulled from the depths of Madiwala Lake during a de-weeding operation last Friday in Bengaluru. The Jaldost team, working under the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), made this surprising discovery while clearing the lake of overgrown water weeds.

The refrigerator wasn’t the only item retrieved from the murky waters. A range of debris, including plastic bags, milk packets, mugs, books, pens, and even steel vessels, was also recovered, prompting locals to refer to the lake as a "miniature junkyard."

While the Jaldost de-weeding machine is highly effective at clearing both water weeds and debris, officials from NAL, as well as local residents, stressed that the responsibility for proper waste disposal lies with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Times of India reported.

T. Karthikeyan, Senior Principal Scientist at NAL, detailed the machine’s capabilities: “Each scoop can lift objects as tall as 6-7ft and weighing up to 3-4 tonnes.” He added, “So far, we’ve pulled over 20 tonnes of waste, the majority being hyacinth and garbage. This includes a variety of materials, from metal to plastic to a refrigerator. We’re now curious to see what else we might find once we’ve completely cleared the lake.”

Describing the discovery of the refrigerator, Karthikeyan recounted, "While our operators were de-weeding a small section of the lake, the Jaldost machine struck a hard, rock-like structure. Upon attempting to lift it, the operator realised it was very heavy. When it was finally hauled out, we discovered it was a refrigerator, full of weeds and silt."

Lack of Clear Waste Disposal Plan

Once the de-weeding operation is complete and waste is removed, the Jaldost operator deposits it near the lake's edge, where BBMP trucks are supposed to take over the disposal. However, Karthikeyan pointed out the lack of a comprehensive plan to handle the large volumes of waste: "The biomass we’re extracting could be put to good use — processed into paper, cardboard, handwoven products, or even biofuels. But without a clear plan to handle these large amounts of waste, this opportunity is being wasted," he told TOI.

Despite ongoing efforts to clean Madiwala Lake, the BBMP has shown little urgency in addressing the growing piles of weeds and rubbish along its banks. In the meantime, residents continue to bear the brunt of years of neglect.

Nithin Shetty, a resident of BTM Layout and a frequent visitor to Madiwala Lake, voiced his concerns: "If refrigerators and steel vessels are coming out of the lake, one can only imagine what else is lying beneath."

Another local, Naveen Reddy, said, "BBMP has ignored this lake for far too long. They should be monitoring the lake and penalising those who dump waste. At this rate, we might even find a sofa set soon. BBMP should be held accountable for this."

When asked about waste segregation, officials from Bangalore Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) confirmed that waste is being collected, but not segregated. "There’s too much waste to be segregated," an official stated.

How Jaldost Came Into Action

The de-weeding efforts at Madiwala Lake are being carried out using the Jaldost Mark 2, a machine developed by the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) as a spin-off from aerospace technology. Constructed with lightweight materials and powered by hydraulic systems akin to those used in aircraft, Jaldost is designed to handle heavy biomass loads. Sources suggest the machine can operate in lakes up to 30 feet deep, although at least 2 feet of depth is required for effective use.

The Jaldost project was launched in 2020 after BBMP approached NAL with specifications for a de-weeding solution. Following extensive testing, the machine was officially launched in 2023 and deployed to various lakes. Its first significant task was at Gottigere Lake, where it cleared 35 acres of hyacinth in just one month. Impressed with the results, BBMP deployed the machine to Madiwala Lake last week.