At a time when the stench and froth of Bellandur lake have captured the attention of residents, activists and the government, the travails of the Maragondanahalli lake (Ramapura lake) have gone largely unnoticed.

Spanning more than 350-acres cumulatively, the Kalkere and Maragondanahalli lakes are not only geographically similar to the Varthur-Bellandur lakes, but also seem to mimic their slow death.

Lake officials have called the Kalkere and Maragondanahalli lake series the “next Bellandur”, for the froth has remained unceasing.

The similarities are plenty: if Bellandur and Varthur are fed by the sewage of east Bengaluru, Kalkere-Maragondanahalli lakes see the entirety of north Bengaluru sewage flowing it; high-rise apartments have started to come up all around; and farmers are slowly on their way out, as developers swoop in on their lands.

Unlike in the case of Bellandur lake, however, complaints of the residents have gone largely unheard.

Prakash, who tends to four cows in the wetlands between the two lakes, said the volume of sewage coming in had increased in the past two years — and subsequently, the amount of froth has increased drastically.

“This is the only water for us, and our cows are forced to drink it, while farmers have to use the water for their farms,” he said.