Lakes

Crores have been marked for wetland preservation and urban water supply; yet, shrinking lakes, ineffective sewage management and diminishing green cover have brought Bhopal to a situation where its natural water reserves may dry up within a matter of weeks.

Once upon a time, Kudi Kunta lake was a drinking water source – how did it get to be a stinking cesspool?

Several studies on pollution in the Dal Lake have pointed to the impact of the waste discharged by houseboats operating on the lake; yet rehabilitation or realignment of these may not be the only solution for saving the lake.

Almost synonymous with Kashmir, the Dal Lake is dying a slow death, marred by ineffective sewage disposal, rampant encroachments and inefficient administration. The J&K High Court, too, has observed that “crores have been spent so far, but nothing has happened on the ground.”

Watch a video describing Alappuzha’s new Canalpy project that aims to restore its famed network of canals. The differentiator: Zero evictions and a holistic, people-centric approach.

Green cover keeps declining year after year in most Indian cities. Improvement, if seen, is only marginal. What can be done to reverse this?

All creatures great and small, whether they come from some faraway place on our planet or make their home right near us, can be a wondrous source of fascination!

These​ ​Mysureans​ ​have​ ​convinced​ ​the​ ​government​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​the​ ​public​ ​on​ ​how​ ​Kukkurahalli​ ​Lake can​ ​be​ ​restored​ ​without​ ​destroying​ ​its​ ​natural​ ​ecosystem,​ ​by​ ​giving​ ​more​ ​importance​ ​to​ ​biodiversity than​ ​theme​ ​parks​ ​and​ ​boating.

The 192-acre Rabindra Sarobar is a beautiful green oasis in the heart of Kolkata and a favourite of many old timers in the southern part of the city. But reckless urbanisation and callous maintenance is taking its toll, leaving many regular visitors deeply distraught.

As urban wetlands increasingly fall prey to vested interests, citizen activists organise themselves to save the environment, often ‘despite’ the government rather than because of it.