BENGALURU: Residents of Thubarahalli , Whitefield, have a new job at hand for the past 5 days: Patrolling areas around Varthur Lake , noting down registration numbers of trucks dumping mud on the lakebed and, subsequently, raising complaints with the BBMP so that the culprits are nailed. This citizen activism is the result of indiscriminate dumping of mud in the lake's vicinity, that too after nightfall. For about two weeks, an increasing number of trucks had been entering Varthur lakebed and unloading mud and other construction debris, even as residents in the vicinity would wonder what the fuss was all about. A probe revealed close to 10 trucks had been dumping mud near the lakebed at night. Additionally, JCBs were seen levelling the area during the day. As repeated complaints to the local authorities bore no fruit, the residents decided to take on the role of vigilantes.Said Rohini B (name changed), a resident of Thubarahalli: "The noise created by the trucks would give us sleepless nights. They made multiple trips every night.While dumping would take place at night, levelling work would happen during day."Dumping around Bellandur Lake may have stopped now because of the National Green Tribunal 's intervention, but the same cannot be said of Varthur Lake, say residents. "Many of the residents have been keeping a watch over the area, taking pictures and noting down the trucks' registration numbers. We have also noticed construction work happening in the buffer zone," said a resident of Whitefield.According to research done by residents using satellite maps, encroachment is taking place in four survey areas of Thubarahalli village and Bellandur Amani kere area. The maps show that the buffer zone around Varthur Lake hasn't been maintained in both areas. Additionally, the primary stormwater drain (SWD) and secondary SWD have been encroached upon in Thubarahalli and Bellandur Amani kere, respectively.REACHING OUTResidents have lodged complaints with the KLCDA, BDA, BBMP, KSPCB and the additional chief secretary of urban development regarding the dumping. "The chief secretary told us he had instructed the BBMP commissioner to look into the matter and take action, and that if the same wasn't done, he'd himself visit the site," said Prabhash K (name changed), another volunteer.

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