Jakkur Lake is on the outskirts of Bengaluru, north of the bustle of the city centre. There is a strong breeze in the morning, but the lake lies calm. Cormorants stretch out their wings to dry. Runners stretch their legs before jogging the 5 kilometre path around the lake.
Just as the lake serves the surrounding community, the community serves the lake. Jala Poshan, or “Nurturing Water” in Hindi, is a community-led trust that works to create a healthy community space around Jakkur Lake.
The creation of the trust was initially facilitated by Satya Foundation, which provided funding and fostered connections in the Jakkur Lake community. Once the citizen group came together, they partnered with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). They signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2015 to lead lake management. Then, they got to work.
Rural to urban
Long before Jala Poshan came together, people held a strong connection to Jakkur Lake. Madhu Sudhah and Jayanth Babu, who volunteer at Jakkur, have spent their lives in the village near the lake. Madhu and Jayanth have seen their community change over the past two decades.
The water was a cleaner resource for the community then. Dhobis made a living washing clothes in the lake; it was a place for cattle to graze and bathe; and the water was used for drinking and irrigation. Jayanth remembers, as a child, playing in the clean water and swimming about in the lake. Madhu remembers this time, too.
“It was pure then,” Madhu says, “If you threw a coin in you would have seen it in the lake.”
No swimming signs are now posted near the entrance gates. Some algae is healthy in a lake, but Jakkur’s strong green colour indicates excess algae has bloomed as a result of pollution in the lake water.
Read more: Essential assets for lake rejuvenation: A comprehensive guide
In 2006, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) purchased the land around the lake from farmers to build housing. BDA began constructing the area, laying down asphalt and building up apartment buildings. The following year, the village land was enveloped into BBMP, deemed part of the greater Bengaluru urban area. Population growth and urbanisation resulted in sewage and other pollutants flowing into Jakkur Lake.
The BDA began rejuvenating the lake in 2018, and passed on the responsibility to BBMP four years later. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) created the Jakkur Sewage Treatment Plan (STP), which releases filtered water into the lake. Jala Poshan helps to maintain the wetlands at the inlet of the lake, which naturally filter water. According to the Centre for Environment and Science, the water remains “fairly clean.”
These interventions have dramatically improved water quality, though it is an ongoing, oftentimes slow-moving process. BBMP is primarily responsible for lake-cleaning infrastructure, but funding is tight, especially considering the hundreds of other lakes in Bengaluru.
High court judgement
In 2020, Jakkur Lake’s community-driven management faced an unexpected challenge. A High Court order imposed a blanket ban on corporations working in or claiming ownership of public natural spaces. The intent behind the ruling was to prevent wealthy corporations from monopolising these areas under the guise of conservation, but it inadvertently disrupted existing collaborations that were benefiting the ecosystem.
The court’s decision nullified the MoU between Jala Poshan and the BBMP, freezing the community trust’s access to funding. Annapurna Kamath, founder of Jala Poshan, believes the case was brought about with good intentions, but it put a stop to a system that was working.
“What we had was a wonderful model for the nation because we are having proactive citizen participation in conservation,” Annapurna says, “What else does a country want?”
An upcoming hearing on September 11th could determine the outcome of the case, and decide whether Jala Poshan — and other similar community trusts — can access funding.
The ruling has paused many of Jala Poshan’s initiatives, although volunteer efforts continued without pause.
Coexistence
Jakkur Lake belongs to no one entity. Jala Poshan coordinates with different groups in managing the lake, including 17 government agencies, scientific advisors, and the citizens whose livelihood depend on the lake.
75 families depend on the resources of Jakkur Lake. Jala Poshan facilitates dialogue to keep processes eco-friendly. Annapurna described a fisherman who makes a point to save fish for the pelicans, who need enough to eat just like anyone else. Cattle raisers collect grass from around the lake, instead of bringing cattle directly to the shoreline. These livelihoods are accommodated, though, dhobis are not permitted to wash clothes in the lake due to the use of chemical detergent.
“We’ve created a good balance,” Annapurna says, “There is everything for humans and everything for social ecology.”
Walking from the southeast end of the lake, you will pass many community activity spaces. There is a small amphitheatre for community gatherings. An obstacle course offers a dynamic workout, with ramps, ropes, and hurdles. A playground is made up of tires and other recycled materials. There is a garden with raised beds, which the community cultivates to grow edible crops, such as insulin plants and alma trees.
“Lakes were cultural hubs, because the community would be around the lake and the lake was the central component.
Stone-etched signs mark the end of the community area and the start of the conservation area. Beyond a cluster of bamboo, Jala Poshan planted a variety of native plants, including medicinal herbs, that are rarely found in the region anymore. Peacocks, mungals, and snakes particularly enjoy the conservation area.
Read more: Towards a water-sensitive city: The story of Jakkur Lake
Learning at the lake
Shramadaan, jala tarang, and nature’s gurukul. These are the three programmes Jala Poshan hosts at Jakkur, which encourage the community to visit and develop a connection with the lake.
“Once they come, they cannot but love the lake, because it is not a place seen otherwise in urban life,” Annapurna says.
Shramdaan involves physical labour. Volunteers from Jala Poshan meet every Sunday morning to cultivate the land or build structures. Upwards of 30 people sometimes gather to work on a single project. There was a smaller group of volunteers on August 25th. They spent the morning digging water trenches around young coffee plants along the shore of the lake. Once they are grown, Madhu explains, the plants will serve as a green barrier to keep people from going down to the water.
Jala tarang, or water waves, seeks to create a ripple effect of community connection, through art, dance, music, theatre programs. Community members gather to create rangoli or string garlands. During Ganesha Chaturthi, people gather to submerge their Ganesha icons in a tank separate from the lake to save the water from pollution.
In nature’s gurukul, Jala Poshan hosts lessons based amongst greenery around the lake. These informal classes often gather at the outdoor learning centre on the east side of the lake. They point to the cycles, adversity, the power of community that can be seen in the natural world. Those interested in butterflies and bees go on guided walks to observe these small creatures.
Looking to the future, Jala Poshan hopes to document the restoration of Jakkur Lake. They want to publish a book, podcasts, and videos outlining the rejuvenation process, in hopes that it will make the process clear for other communities and their lakes.
“The lake, it’s a living system,” Annapurna says. “It will go beyond me, and beyond the next generation also. The lake will never die, until we let her to. If we want her to survive it will take continuous effort. That is why the community needs to be engaged for generations together, now and onward.”