BENGALURU, 12 APRIL

Frustrated over months of unpaid wages, more than 30 lake marshals deployed at the City’s Bellandur and Varthur lakes have tendered their resignations en masse, abandoning their posts.
The move has raised serious concerns over lake security and waste management in two of the City’s most ecologically sensitive zones.
The marshals, tasked with protecting the lakes round the clock in two shifts, had reportedly not been paid for the past three to four months by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Each lake was assigned 25 marshals, but with over half now stepping down, on-ground monitoring has come to a near standstill.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT), citing negligence, had previously imposed heavy fines on the state and handed over rejuvenation responsibilities to the BDA, while BBMP was entrusted with security measures including the installation of CCTV cameras and deployment of marshals.
Speaking to Salar on Saturday, local residents voiced concern over the vacuum left by the resignations. "Encroachments are increasing and garbage dumping near the lake is rampant. The situation will get worse in the absence of marshals," said Jagadeesh Reddy, a resident near Varthur Lake.
According to a resigned marshal, those recruited in January this year—many with NCC backgrounds—were promised Rs 20,000 per month but are being paid only Rs 13,000. "How can we run a family on that, especially with delayed payments?" he said.
A BBMP official, on the condition of anonymity, admitted the delay stemmed from a departmental shift in payment responsibility causing disruption in disbursement.