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EARTH ENERGY

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Imperative: This is just what the doctor ordered for rejuvenating the environment of the city. College students removing weeds from the Rachenahalli lake near Byatarayanapura.

It is always a pleasure to see a clean water body. And a well-maintained lake in the city is a welcome sight. Bangalore was at one time known for its many lakes. Had they all been maintained intact, Bangalore would in all probability had another tag — Lake City. Many lakes have been lost to “development.” Dried up tank beds have seen buildings coming up on them, snuffing the water body out forever.

However, an initiative by the civic agencies is aimed at preserving the ones left. And also rejuvenate them to make them attractive spots around the city. A case in point is the rejuvenated Nagavara Lake on the Outer Ring Road near Hebbal. The water sports and park make this lake a major draw in the locality. The lake attracts huge crowds during the evenings, especially on weekends.

The rejuvenation of lakes has a two-fold advantage. On the one hand, it leads to the upscaling of the neighbourhood, and on the other, the much-needed recharging of the ground water table.

The city’s neighbourhoods need some open spaces providing a welcome relief from the heavy traffic-ridden roads and the built environment that leaves little space for greenery. Added to this is the large number of trees that are being brought down to accommodate the road widening projects all over the city. It will soon be only around the lakes and parks that you can get the greenery Bangalore has been known for.

There has also been an increase in property prices in the vicinity of lakes. Traditionally, certain attributes command a premium in the real estate business. Now, properties close to a lake are commanding higher prices!

Lakes also help in recharging ground water that has depleted to alarming levels in the city.

“This is a good reason why the lakes need to be rejuvenated. There is no scope for ground water rejuvenation at all if the city’s water bodies dry up. Also, the greenery around the lakes absorb harmful pollution from the heavy traffic. Lakes also act as a great tool for capturing flood flows and control water logging, besides being an additional water source, given the growing water needs and single source dependability,” says K. Satheesh Kumar, CEO, Enzen Global, an energy and environment consulting firm.

The city that was once dotted with lakes and tanks was known for its salubrious climate. The summers were much cooler and there was heavy rainfall through the monsoons. Also, the water table across the city was healthy. In many localities, it was common to see open wells catering to the needs of households. Borewells yielded water at just 50 to 60 feet.

“Restoration of lakes and up-keep of their water quality should not be seen as a liability but as the seed capital for reaping rich dividends in the form of spurt in tourism activities, increased revenue for local businesses and government bodies and creation of lung space. This initiative of the civic authorities is welcome and comes at the right time,” adds Satheesh Kumar.

The civic authorities plan to begin by cleaning out the lakes of weeds and debris. Subsequently, sewage water will be diverted away from them. Landscaping and beautification will include gardens, outdoor furniture, water sports, children’s play area and jogging tracks.

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike has a project to develop some lakes with funding from the Jawarharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme. The Bangalore Development Authority too has plans for rejuvenating some lakes.

This apart, private organisations and corporates too can adopt and rejuvenate lakes under the “adopt a lake” scheme. They have to draw up a detailed plan and submit it to the Lake Development Authority. On approval of the proposal, the organisation can go ahead with the project. This is part of the State Government’s public-private partnership formula.

The people of the city can do a lot to maintain lakes too. “Firstly, residents’ welfare associations need to be vigilant and report encroachments on the lake bunds to the civic authorities immediately. Also, diversion of sewage water and industrial effluents into water bodies should never be allowed. Neighbourhood watchdog committees should be formed to maintain a vigil on lakes in the area,” says Manjunath Nayaker, General Manager, Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises Ltd, the developers of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project. “We are developing and maintaining several lakes along the expressway. They bring a scenic touch to the road apart from recharging ground water for the benefit of the agricultural land in the vicinity,” he says.

Water bodies in and around the city are assets just as much as the favourable climate is for the city. And maintaining them is a priority today.

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