Lakes

A group of environmental and social activists are organising the Bellandur Lake Run this Sunday, February 6th at 10 am. This run is a demand from citizens for government action and it is also intended to spread awareness of the situation.This event is for all of us in Bangalore, our children, our health and well being. We can get back our wonderful lakes, not to mention valuable drinking water for the future. The froth from the polluted lake flowing outwards, and the waste/garbage that has accumulated from the flow. Not a single bird of any sort was to be found…

Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) organised a workshop on "Youth and Conservation of Lakes" for students of Jyoti Nivas College on December 4. Several prominent Bangaloreans were invited to speak at the event, which was followed by a trip to Parapanna Agrahara Lake. Dr. Yellappa Reddy, noted environmentalist, a trustee at the Bangalore Environment Trust and former Indian Forest Service Officer was the chief guest. He explained the importance of conservation of lakes. He said that lake is truly a living entity; due to the dissolved oxygen content in it that supports various aquatic flora and fauna. He suggested using…

At last! The bed of the Puttenahalli Lake is barely visible. Thanks to the rains and one key inlet near the coconut grove getting fed, the water level in the lake has finally risen. A gardener and sweeper appointed by Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT) help in ensuring that the plants are well tended and the walking track and lake surroundings are kept clean. In the early mornings and late evenings, walkers can be seen enjoying the various species of birds like moorhens, herons, egrets and others, waddling and flying around the place. Children and adolescents can also be…

Shramdan on Ambalipura (lower) lake bed started at around 9:45 am on Sunday, September 19th. Residents from our Bellandur ward started coming to the lake bund from 9 am. First to arrive at lake was special invitee Dr Ashwin Mahesh, Ramesh Sivaram from Rainbow Residency and Satheesh Amilineni from Green Glen Layout. The volunteers discussed for a while on how to tackle the weeds and which equipment to use. Ambalipura lakebed wedding in progress. Pic: Satheesh Amilineni. Soon, the volunteers got into lake bed at around 9:45am and started weeding. The plan was to start from one side and proceed…

Of the 35 lakes in Mahadevpura assembly constituency in northeast Bengaluru, 23 have become dysfunctional, according to a report authored by urban ecologist Dr Harini Nagendra, Ramesh Sivaram (member of resident association federation of Bellandur) and Dr S Subramanya (Professor at University of Agricultural Sciences). The report classifies seven lakes as ‘extremely polluted', another seven as ‘heavily polluted, drying' and nine lakes as ‘completely dry'. Only 10 ten lakes are categorised as healthy while two are under restoration. Bengaluru-based Harini is also co-author of papers with US-based political scientist Elinor Ostrom, Nobel prize winner for Economics in 2009. Harini Nagendra,…

Identifying Traditional and Responsible ways of Celebrating Ganesh ChaturthiA One Day Workshop for Children (Ages 9-15)Ganesh Chaturthi is the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu God. As we all know, He is a very popular god in India and has become a popular symbol around the world too. Ganesha in different art forms has broken many boundaries of caste, race, religion, and nation and has found a space in many living rooms around the world. He is a favorite among the children too. The story of his birth and the variety of delicacies made on this day are enjoyable…

Recently, a few of us from the ‘Save Our Lake' group of L & T South City and Brigade Millennium apartments formed the Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT), and formally registered it under the Trust Act of the Government of Karnataka. We have been working for a while to restore Puttenahalli Lake, and turn it into a place of conservation and recreation amidst our homes. Citizen Matters too has helped in this cause. Thanks to the BBMP, allied agencies and individuals, this restoration is now showing visible signs of success. PNLIT will also be procuring saplings to help attract…

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) is set to take on the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) on yet another case of lake pollution. The severe pollution of the DRDO lake near Bagmane Tech Park in CV Raman Nagar came to the notice of KSPCB officials during one of their routine inspections. One part of the lake seems close to perfect - a look at the lush greenery, the clear blue sky, and the ripples that disturb the calm waters when a bird fancies a swim occasionally, can make your day. Meanwhile, the other part of the…

“It is remarkable how several hundred years ago, city planners were able to plan and execute the Bangalore lake system”, says Rajul Ramchandani, a student of Class X, Delhi Publish School (South). Ramchandani  made a video on Kaikondrahalli Lake on Sarjapur Road as part of the Lost Lakes of Bangalore video contest. “The silver lining is that not all is lost and many citizens and government bodies are realising the mistakes of the past and making amends wherever possible. One such result is the Kaikondrahalli lake. My experience has been that the civic bodies are quite powerful and can make…

Yesterday, some active members of Forward 150 federation, inaugurated the tree planting on Kaikondrahalli Lake.They did a Bhoomi puja and planted four trees on the island. The remaining 2500 saplings will be planted by volunteers in the coming days before island & bunds work completes. There is scope to plant about 250 odd trees on the island itself, pits have been dug up for the same.  ⊕