The lake water has turned tainted, stinking and poisonous. Discharge of domestic and industrial effluents, sediments released from under-construction buildings and liquid sewage has made the lake a virtual dumping ground.

But the city development and utility agencies -- Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripkkha (Rajuk), Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) -- seem to have no headache to protect the water body.

The 5-kilometre long lake begins from Dalipara near Zia International Airport and flows across sector 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 13 of Uttara Model Town. It stretches up to Diabari, Chandalbagh and Bailjhuri villages under Harirampur union.

Once flowing as 'Baonia Bil' across Baonia, Bailjuri and Harirampur areas along the river Turag, the vast natural water body has now been reduced to a narrow creek of 200-metre wide canal.

Moreover, the lake has turned narrower because of land acquisition by Rajuk in the surrounding areas and for the Dhaka City Protection Embankment on both southern and eastern banks of the Turag, said environmentalists.

On the other hand, slum dwellers living on the banks of the lake without sanitary latrines and sewer facilities have menacingly been polluting the water body.

Uttara residents attributed the ill fate of the lake to the absence of sewer system and waste treatment facility in the Rajuk plan.

"Rajuk deliberately avoided keeping provision for surface water outlets so that the lake is filled up with sediments and waste creating scope for making new plots," said a former teacher of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Md Asadullah Khan who lives in sector-5.

Amanullah Ahmad, former vice chancellor of Rajshahi University and a resident of sector-7, said, "Rajuk has filled up a portion of the lake's eastern bank in sector-13 with debris and waste matters overnight and allotted plots there."

As per the original Dhaka Master Plan, there should have been walkways and green parks on the lake banks, said Qazi Khurshiduzzaman Utpal, a resident of sector-13. But the space for tree plantation and walkway has been narrowed for making plots.

"Rajuk allotted 12 plots on the walkway space in sector-13 but it had to stop the move in the face of strong protest by the locals," Utpal said.

Rajuk Chief Engineer Emdadul Islam however denied the allegation. He said: "Rajuk did not allot any plots on the edge of the lake meant for walkway and plantation."

DCC has built drainage system to flow surface water into the lake, he said, adding that Dhaka Wasa, on the other hand, has not yet developed sewer system in the area.

Rajuk has not been able to develop the walkway along the lake as the Ecnec (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council) has not approved the project concept paper for Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara and Uttara Lake development over the last six to seven years, Emdad said.

"It's unfortunate that the Planning Commission dropped Uttara Lake from the development scheme four months ago," said Ahmed Farid, an environmentalist and former ambassador.

He said the aquatic life of Uttara Lake has been consistently destroyed although destruction of wetland, open space and water body is a punishable offence as per the Wetland Conservation Act of 2000.

A top official of Dhaka Wasa seeking anonymity said Wasa cannot install sewer system anywhere and anytime as it is an extremely expensive development work.

Rajuk should ensure funds for development of various services at the time of property development, he suggested. "Rajuk should also plan what type of sewer is required and how resources will be generated."

Wasa presently has sewer coverage in only 25 percent of the Dhaka metropolitan area, he said, adding that there is no water carrier sewer system in Uttara to dilute human excreta in the water and treat it at a certain place.

DCC Chief Engineer Idris Mian said other than the lake there are no other means in Uttara to drain out surface water because of the flood protection embankment particularly in the western part of Uttara. Only a sluice gate in the embankment may facilitate diversion of the drains, he added.

Residents of Uttara at a demonstration on December 25 demanded development and beautification of the lake and prevention of sedimentation to save its aquatic system.