Smashing turn-out at Munnekolala Lake

by June 20, 2014 Environment

Report received from Arvind Keerthi

At the tree-planting event at Munnekolala Lake (14th June 1014), it took a hundred+ volunteers less than two hours to set in soil 250 saplings!

We are pleased by the unstinted support shown by the BBMP, whose Chief Engineer (Lakes) Shri B. V. Satish and Conservator of Forests, Shri Jagannatha Rao were in attendance, and indeed made possible the entire exercise. The BBMP was of course not the only wind at our backs – citizen-volunteers from the Munnekolala Lake Rejuvenation Association (MLRA), as well as United Way of Bengaluru tirelessly planned and executed the work leading up to the event.

The work of greening up the lake-area has actually only begun. Now comes the task of watering the saplings through the next year or so. For this, the formidable volunteers of MLRA have already taken responsibility.

Next, how do we ensure that a majority of saplings survive cattle? The answer to this is the boundary fencing, which the BBMP has been completing at a good clip.

This model of local citizens (i.e., MLRA) adopting commons (i.e., the lake), with support coming from the broader community (i.e., Whitefield Rising), the government (i.e., BBMP), and corporates (i.e., United Way) has been shown to work in very many cases over the years, including in our own Bangalore. May we continue replicating this model for the many other lakes around Whitefield. Perhaps there is a lake near your locality that you want to bring attention to, and that you want to take the lead on?

More photos of the event are on facebook. Also, check out the video on youtube.

Arvind Keerthi is an active member of Whitefield Rising,a community of volunteers who get together to utilize residents’ abilities to make Whitefield a better place. 

Sections:

About Arathi Manay Yajaman

Arathi is a market researcher who loves to run and write. She has been actively involved in issues that affect citizens, including apartment management, waste management and lakes. She used to live in Mumbai and is now based in Bengaluru, working as a Community Anchor with Citizen Matters.
Read more by Arathi Manay Yajaman

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Air quality management is a governance problem, not just an environmental one

by and March 2, 2026 Environment
Despite massive funding, Indian cities face weak governance, poor data, and limited capacity, as air pollution continues to worsen.

Indian cities are struggling to breathe. Air pollution is a year-round governance challenge. In 2024, 35 of the 50 most polluted cities globally were in India, with PM2.5 concentrations above 66.4 μg/m3. This is at least 13 times the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and at least 1.6 times the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in India. Citizens continue to bear the brunt of worsening air quality, and urban local governments (ULGs) are at the forefront of the problem, being primarily accountable for their citizens' first mile. While they do have a role to play in addressing this threat,…

Continue reading

Similar Story

Protecting urban green cover: The process and penalties for tree felling in Chennai

by February 27, 2026 Environment
As green spaces shrink amid rapid development, here's a citizen's guide to navigating Chennai’s updated permit system for tree cutting.

​Two decades ago, Gandhi Nagar in south Chennai was a shaded green canopy, recalls Meera Ravikumar, a resident. “Now, in the name of development, many incidents of tree felling have occurred in the past 15 years on avenues and across private properties. In highly populated and polluted urban areas, green lung spaces are important,” says the member of Swacch Gandhi Nagar, a citizens group.   Since 2000, India has lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover, according to the 2024 Global Forest Watch. Tamil Nadu has fared better than most states — its forest cover has remained “largely stable” since…

Continue reading