For people like me who have made Bangalore their own ooru in the recent past, it is fascinating to discover that there were once more than 300 lakes that were engineered to connect with each other and serve as water sources for this beautiful city that stands at elevation of 2953 feet.
Bangalore Lakes meeting: A glorious past and a promising future
-Dr Ravi Ralph CEO, Lake Development Authority (LDA)
-Mr Brijesh Kumar Chief Conservator of Forests, BBMP
-Dr Ashwin Mahesh, One Bengaluru, Loksatta; Urban Expert
-Shri N.S. Mukunda Citizen Action Forum; Abhyudaya
-Success stories and lessons learned – group discussion
-Sharing best practices
10AM to 1PM, Sunday Aug 5th, 2012
IIM B- Class Room C-21 Opp. Coffee day, IIM B Campus, Bannerghatta Road
The building where I go to work everyday was once a lake, so was the Kanteerava Stadium and Majestic bus stand. We are now left with 164 lakes, however dry and dead they may have become. People of this state and city have always been at the forefront of change, whether it is the Lokayukta or Panchayat Raj, and Karnataka showed the way for rest of the country.
In the same vein, the concerned citizens of this great city won’t let the lakes go dry and many efforts are being made by committed folks. We have success stories in many places and I myself enjoy the benefits of a lake that has been brought back to life thanks to my neighbours.
Puttenhalli Lake is now a place my children go to on nature trips organised by their school and I have a place to take our guests to, for a leisurely walk after lunch.
About OneBengaluru
The factors which divide us are many. The factors which unite us are far more. So, we unite people across the city on a single platform. To intellectually and rationally devise solutions to the problems which haunt our city. It encourages you to take part in building a better city. Imagine the Bengaluru you want to see in the near future and play your part to make it happen.
As the Arakere Neighborhood Improvement Trust has now been formed, we are organising a meet up for the folks involved or wanting to involve in lakes’ rejuvenation on Sunday August 5th at IIM Bangalore. We will use this forum to share best practices interact with government officials, make action plans.
Why you should come to this meeting
Many of us think that we are incapable of bringing any change in our system, we lack the skills and experience and do not know how to ‘deal’ with the ‘system.’ In fact, 99% of people involved in such projects in Bangalore, are just like you and me, working professionals, that take our jobs seriously and try to do our bit for the larger good. Your professional skills are quite useful in these projects as well. Interact with the folks and make up your mind on how you want to get involved.
Citizen Matters itself is a perfect example of what passionate individuals can do and there are numerous stories here about ordinary citizens working together to bring change to our city.⊕