The Central Government has announced a Rs 665 crore aid package to Karnataka government to clean up the lakes in Bengaluru by establishing a long trunk sewage line and four sewage treatment plants.

This aid has been sanctioned under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme to Karnataka, in order to reduce the pollution in the lakes. Out of Rs 665 crore, Rs 500 crore will be used for setting up a 4 km trunk sewage line to carry the waste while the remaining Rs 165 crore will be used for establishing four sewage treatment plants at the Bellandur lake, which often catches fire because of pollution, said Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.

The Minister has already talked to officials in Karnataka about the pollution abatement scheme and will meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in May to finalise the programme.

About 40 percent sewage of the city flows into the Bellandur lake, which spreads over 891.9 acres of area. Studies show there are around 262 lakes and tanks in the urban and rural areas of Bengaluru, as of 2009. In May 2015, froth over Bellandur lake caught fire due to the formation of flammable methane gas, reported The New Indian Express.

The Logical Indian appreciates the Central government for coming forward to help the state government in cleaning the Bengaluru lakes.