For the first time in recent memory, the popular 7.5-acre Bandra Talao, a Grade II heritage lake in Mumbai, has been dewatered as part of a major rejuvenation drive. The urban waterbody now appears as a vast stretch of exposed mudflats and heavy silt deposits, with excavation machinery and pumps working through the remaining patches of sludge.
Phase I of Restoration
Officials stated that this exercise marks Phase I of the lake's restoration, involving complete dewatering followed by systematic desilting. The project is being executed in phases, with the first phase covering dewatering and desilting, while Phase II will focus on aesthetic upgrades and public utility improvements around the lake perimeter.
Ecological Stress and Sewage Seepage
Civic officials overseeing the work revealed that the lake had been under severe ecological stress for years. Milind Kulkarni, an independent expert involved in preparing the detailed project report (DPR), said, "The average biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) observed in studies conducted for the DPR was 100 mg/litre. In a healthy lake, BOD is less than 5 mg/litre. Based on this, it is estimated that there is sewage seepage into the lake. There is no direct inflow of sewage into the lake, as the entire area is covered by BMC's sewerage system."
Dinesh Pallewad, assistant municipal commissioner of H-West ward, noted that no live aquatic species were found during the dewatering process. "Only two dead turtles were recovered from the lakebed, showing the extent of ecological deterioration. We will also construct a 1 MLD (million litres per day) sewage treatment plant (STP) near the lake. The treated water is expected to be reintroduced into the waterbody to improve circulation and address concerns related to stagnation and poor aeration."
Political and Community Response
Bandra (West) MLA Ashish Shelar, who recently reviewed the ongoing work, stated in a post on X that Bandra Talao is not just a waterbody but an integral part of the constituency's identity and heritage. "Officials have been instructed to expedite the work and ensure timely completion," he wrote.
The desilting work has been underway for nearly two weeks. Officials mentioned that aerators installed in the lake in the past had become non-operational due to maintenance and electricity-related issues, while the equipment was damaged over time.
Questioning the Approach
However, former Bandra West corporator Asif Zakaria expressed doubts about the necessity of the interventions. He said the emptied talao clearly indicates there is no major sewerage inflow from surrounding areas, despite this being cited as one of the justifications for costly interventions. "If sewer inflow was not the real issue, was an expensive sewage treatment plant even required? The declining water quality perhaps had more to do with decades of stagnation and lack of continuous aeration and oxygenation."
