News from the Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust
In the newspapers yesterday (10th Dec 2011), you may have read about BBMP-PNLIT collaborating with a private firm Enzen Water Solutions to clean the water in the lake using a Nano-Nutrient Solution (NNS).
Since it involved using chemicals, a trial run was done in a cement tank in the coconut grove, taking 15,000 litres of water from the dirtiest part of the lake into the tank. A week after treating the water, Enzen introduced 3 kg of Tilepia fish (22 numbers). Not only did the fish thrive but the water itself steadily gained clarity.
Before filling tank
Treating water with NNS
Water samples on Day 1
Water sample after 3 weeks
Citizen Matters Puttenahalli Post
MAHINDRA SPARK THE RISE
Grabbing opportunities: help us with your vote!
PNLIT , 08 Dec 2011
One doesn't always get an opportunity to do something extraordinary. When you do, you've got to grab it! This is what we did when we saw the Puttenahalli Lake dying. We campaigned and lobbied for the BBMP to rejuvenate the lake. This is what PNLIT did when we saw the Mahindra Spark the Rise announcement inviting projects ("Sparks") for a competitive funding. We submitted "PNLIT - Nurturing Puttenahalli Lake back to its pristine glory" as a template for reviving lakes with active public participation. Click here to vote.
The many activities and events we conduct, such as the Children's Day Nature Walk, are done to enthuse residents in the locality to take care of the lake, to make them feel proud of "their" lake. However, it is a slow, tedious process since our lifestyle is increasingly distancing us and our children from Nature. Environment is something that we take for granted, not something to be nurtured. Freebies like the monsoon and the twitter of birds are often cursed and not appreciated.
We meet the lake maintenance expenses from donations. We often get donors to plant trees. There is not only a monetary value attached to the Sampige or the Neem but also the priceless sentiment that the sapling has been planted by them and their families. They come around to see the tree growing tall and pluck the stray weed growing at its base. Such donations, however, are not really enough for us to transform the lake into the avian habitat that we want it to become.
Mahindra Spark the Rise seemed a very good way to improve the visibility of our efforts and an opportunity for much needed funding. The competition works like this:
- Each month, Sparks are invited in five different categories, and after screening, put up for public voting.
- Each month, 8 Sparks will receive grants of 4 lakh each. Five of these monthly winners will be selected by public vote. Of these, the 2 most-voted will be eligible to participate in the Grand Finale. The remaining three monthly winners will be selected by an expert jury.
- In the Grand Finale, 18 Sparks will compete. The winner will receive Rs. 40 lakh and three runners-up Rs. 20 lakh each.
Our Spark is open for voting through December (called Round 4). Emerging as the grand winner will be a dream come true. It will end our constant search for funds. It will erase the deep rooted concern that the birds which have now begun to flock, nest and roost in our lake may be left to fend for themselves for want of appropriate support.
The public now has a chance to make a difference in this community project. Every vote counts. Please vote for Puttenahalli Lake to enter the Grand Finale. And pass on the link to get others to vote too.
How to vote:
1. Go to www.sparktherise.com
2. Click on popular entries
3. Look for PNLIT. Click on it. Click on 'Vote'.
4. It will ask you to Signup or Login.
5. Click Login to go through Facebook or click Signup to go through email.
6. To Signup, put your name, email and password that you want to signup with. A confirmation mail will go to your email account. You need to click on the link in the email to activate your registration.
7. After activation, you do the same thing to vote.
Don't think that your one vote won't make a difference, because it will!
URL for this article
http://citizenmatters.in/articles/view/3634-Grabbing-opportunities:-h...
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BBMP pushing lakes for entertainment (www.citizenmatters.in)
Extract of the article
In Puttenahalli, residents have managed to stop BBMP's plan to build a bridge over the Puttenahalli lake. Residents here have been working with the BBMP for around two years to revive the lake and have formed PNLIT (Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust) for this. Local Corporator L Ramesh had mooted the idea of building a bridge
from the walkway of the lake to the island in the middle of the lake. "It would be nice to let people go into the island and get a good view of the lake," says L Ramesh.
PNLIT member Usha Rajagopalan says that the project would drive away birds. "There are about 45 bird species, local and migrant, that are visiting the island and areas around the lake. Presence of people will drive them away and also cause the lake to be littered," she says. Usha says that PNLIT's plan itself was to develop the lake as a bird sanctuary, and that trees were planted in the island for this. "The issue is of BBMP looking at lake development from the perspective of entertainment to public. BBMP does not consider the eco-perspective," she says.
L Ramesh says that the project has been dropped due to residents' protest and also since there are not enough funds allocated in the budget for the lake. "BBMP has only Rs 25 lakh funding for the lake this year, which we will use for installing lights around it. The bridge project has been completely dropped," he says.
Today he managed to capture the rare sight of the purple heron eating another bird. The first picture shows the heron gulping down the unfortunate coot and the second shows the heron with a large bulge in its throat, as it struggles to ingest the prey.
I was fortunate (or unfortunate!) to see this happen about a month ago but was so awed by the sight that neither I nor the members of the Bird Watchers Field Club even thought of taking a photograph!
