Looking back at 2022 with gratitude

As we step into the new year, we look back gratefully at the moments that gave us not only so much joy but also the strength to face the challenges that are inevitable when nurturing a public space like an urban lake! 

Glimpses of 2022 (Photos by well-wishers; slideshow by Pranshu and Nupur Jain)

March lifted our spirits with the Flame of the Forest flowering for the first time. We had planted this tree in July 2010 and had watched it grow, its trunk twisted and full of big leaves. We wondered if it would flower at all when we spotted a flower petal lying on the walking track and looked up to see one bunch of reddish orange flowers! It bore only a few more bunches but we are excited to see how it will fare this coming summer!

Again in March, a mother duck waddled out of the shrubs and into the water followed by eight fluffy ducklings! 

At the same time, a Brahminy kite chick learned to fly high on the tree on the island. We watched it hop tentatively from branch to branch, fluttering its wings and growing more confident and stronger by the day. 

On 5th June, together with Indian Music Experience and Karnataka State Legal Services Authority, we celebrated World Environment Day and PNLIT’s 12th anniversary. Samuel John's documentary ‘Puttenahalli Lake Alive On Land Under Water’ had everyone spellbound. We had to pinch ourselves to remember that the lake had been reclaimed from sewage influx only a year ago. The musical tribute to nature by national award winning singer and composer, Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy was mesmerising and swept us all away into another realm.

Our biggest challenge remains protecting the lake from encroachment about which we had sent you a detailed email earlier this month. Suffice it to say that the direction of the Hon'ble High Court to remove the encroachment issued on 15th July is yet to be carried out by the authorities. We hope they will do so at least in the coming months. 

As always, we look forward to your continued support. 

We wish you and your loved ones a great new year. May you too draw happiness and strength from the small pleasures of life and nature.

Best wishes

PNLIT team  

Restarting our Family Fun Gardening Day in the new year

After a gap of almost 3 years, Bringing the community together gardening session at Puttenahalli lake, JP Nagar is back from January 2023!

PNLIT has made the first Saturday of every month open to you to exercise your green thumb; to introduce your children to gardening; to work together with your family; to destress; to discover the small pleasures of plants; to be one with nature, and more. So make the most of your neighbourhood lake.

Join us on Saturday, 7th January between 9.30 a.m. and 11 a.m. for the Family Fun Gardening Saturday.

No registration required. Just come with your water bottle, cap and comfortable shoes to enjoy the outdoors!

The biggest challenge yet for Puttenahalli Lake - Update

 If you noticed, we have not been sending you lake updates as often as before. This is because from March 2021 we have been in the thick of our biggest challenge - getting the authorities to protect Puttenahalli Puttakere from encroachers. 

Our endeavour to rehabilitate the slum dwellers (some 40 families in 2010 now grown to 119) so that their quality of life may improve in better housing elsewhere began in 2008.  Each time we think we are on the verge of achieving this goal, our hope crashes. We pick ourselves up because we owe it to Puttakere itself and to you, our well-wishers, volunteers, and donors who have stood by us all these years. 

You can read a short account of our struggle in this link: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/lakes-of-bengaluru-maintained-local-residents-puttenahalli-citizens-lake-8264383/ 

In essence, on 15th July 2022, a two-member bench of the Karnataka High Court passed an order on our writ petition directing BBMP to remove the encroachment at Puttenahalli Lake and submit a compliance report. As soon as they received the eviction notice, the slum dwellers filed a WP (20300/2022) in the High Court and obtained a stay order. When informed of this, the bench orally directed BBMP on 24/11/2022 to get the stay vacated. 

Our uncertainty continues but we are encouraged by the Judges coming down heavily on the authorities for not protecting lakes, buffer zones and storm water drains from encroachments. Also, since lake related cases have been clubbed together, the hearings have been happening fairly frequently. The last was on 1st December and the next will be on the 7th. You can read the orders and follow our WP 4964/2021 on the Karnataka Judiciary website.

Wish us well!

Best regards

PNLIT team

Biolblitz at the lake - scheduled

The next bioblitz at Puttenahalli Lake will be conducted on Sunday, 11th December between 9:30 am-11.00 am.

What: A bioblitz is a short but intense session in which participants do a biological survey of a particular area and record all the living creatures in that space.

Why: A bioblitz serves two purposes. Over a time period it allows the surveying of the biodiversity in an area. This biodiversity can be documented on a citizen-science platform such as iNaturalist (inaturalist.org) making this information available to all. Second, a bioblitz is a fun way of getting people, particularly children interested in nature and conservation issues. They also learn important skills of observation, identification and documentation.

How: All you need is an interest in nature and a notebook and pencil to record your observations. A camera is also preferred for documentation but not a requirement. We do a slow walk in a particular area of the lake and record all the living creatures we find. These include mosses, herbs, shrubs, trees, flowers, lichen, insects, birds and animals.

All observations are uploaded on the Puttenahalli Lake project page on iNaturalist . All participants could sign-up for a free account on iNaturalist. (This procedure will be explained at the time of the event).

Who: Any person who is 12+ years and interested in the natural world can join us for this event. 10+ old kids could also join in provided they are accompanied by an adult. We are taking upto 20 participants only.

By Whom: The session will be led by Dr. Kaustubh Rau, a biologist, a naturalist and a PNLIT volunteer.

When and Where: December 11th, 9:30 am - 11.00 am at the Lake gazebo.

Register by filling the form - https://forms.gle/dHw3JS2uYGQf4SQH6

This event is free. Do register asap to avoid disappointment!

Thank you,

Sapana Rawat
PNLIT Events Coordinator

Puttenahalli Lake then and now

Seeing our lake everyday is like seeing one's child and not realizing how much the baby has grown. To remind ourselves, we occasionally browse through old photographs. See the evolution of  Puttenahalli Puttakere in just three frames.  

July 2009 (Pic: Usha Rajagopalan)

Oct 2011 (Pic: Seetha Nagaraj)

Sep 2022 (Pic: Nupur Jain)

Our sincere thanks to everyone who made this transformation possible and we look forward to your continued support. 

Best regards

PNLIT team

Event on Bengaluru's Lake Ecosystem on 25th Sep 2022 at Puttenahalli Lake

Have you wondered how construction & demolition waste affects lakes? How plants, trees, aquatic animals, birds and other animals are affected around the lake? What can we do about it?

To learn more, here's an event conducted by SAAHAS and Iku at Puttenahalli Lake.

Observe the biodiversity around a restored lake and learn about how the waste dumped in lakes (Sewage, Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste, Soild Waste) affects the lake ecosystem. Also get a chance to learn about the best waste management practices for a better environment from the experts.

What: Bengaluru's Lake Ecosystem and how bad management of C&D waste affects it

Where: Puttenahalli lake (JP Nagar), Bengaluru

When: 25th September 2022 (Sunday) from 8 am to 10 am

Registration is Rs 49/person. For details on registration, check this link.

Warmly,

-Sapana

PNLIT Events Coordinator

Event report : International Literacy Day

Sharing below the Facebook album link for event report and two video compilations of the stories narrated and acted by team members of Snehadhara.

FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=SnehadharaFoundation&set=a.6296043933744457

Croak: https://youtu.be/vYC4ACzIe7Q

Beauty is Missing: https://youtu.be/0tOzGPZxATw

Warmly,

-Sapana

PNLIT Events Coordinator

Celebrate International Literacy Day with PNLIT, Snehadhara Foundation and Pratham Books

We will be celebrating the International Literacy Day with Snehadhara Foundation and Pratham Books by hosting an interactive online storytelling session for children. Event details are attached below.

This year the selected storybooks are Croak written by Kavitha Punniyamurthi and illustrated by Ekta Bharti and Beauty is Missing written and illustrated by Priya Kuriyan.

Entry is free but registration is a must! 

So do register here - https://forms.gle/kRToCy8iXVZpq2ZCA

The registered email ids will get Zoom meeting ID closer to the date. For any queries, contact pnlit.events@gmail.com.

Warmly,
Sapana

PNLIT Events Coordinator

Independence Day greetings

Independence Day greetings to all! Our prayer today and always for our beloved nation is best expressed in this poem by Rabindranath Tagore: 

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;

Where knowledge is free;

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;

Where words come out from the depth of truth;

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;

Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Mr. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala - RIP

At every opportunity, we thank our donors and well wishers. This is not lip service but comes from the heart. The amount each one gives is not important. What is, is their benevolence, their faith in us and our work as custodians of Puttenahalli Lake. If it hadn't been for these individuals, almost all of them live in the vicinity of the lake, we would not have been able to maintain our Puttakere. 

Once in a (rare) while, we get donations from people from other cities thanks to a friend or relative sharing the Puttenahalli Lake story with them. 

In Dec. 2012, we received a letter and a cheque from Rakesh Jhunjhunwala Foundation. To say we were taken aback would be an understatement for not only was the letter a surprise but the cheque was for Rs. One Lakh! How did he even know of us? It turned out someone from Bangalore had told him about our lake restoration endeavour and the benevolent man immediately wrote a cheque! 

We sent him a thank you note inviting him to visit the lake some time. He never did. His wonderful gesture to our Puttakere reinforced for us the goodness in people, even strangers in high places. 

RIP, Mr. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala

PNLIT team

A narrow escape, hopefully!

The vigilance of our gardeners is to be applauded. On 3rd Aug, at around 5.30 p.m., they telephoned to say that "black oil" was entering the lake. We replied that it may be from the two-wheeler mechanic shop across the road and asked them to get it stopped. We were wrong. Our gardeners followed the trail of the "black oil" along the rainwater drain, on the road, into an alley and reached a closed chamber outside a huge packaging outlet. Behind this was an agro marketing depot which was the source of this liquid.  

On its way to the lake through the drain

Collecting on the road

Even as they gave us these updates, we called the BWSSB ward office and BBMP (Lakes). Though it was nearing 6 p.m., BWSSB at once sent a jetting machine but they took one look at the discharge and returned the way they came. This was not their responsibility. BBMP (Lakes) informed the ward Health Inspector and offered to issue a warning to the polluter. We needed action. We wanted the pollutant to be stopped at once and we were racing against the rain! 

We called the company's Production Manager and insisted that they pump the liquid out of the chamber. The guy didn't know what exactly the liquid was and he hadn't been aware of it flowing out of his premises and onto the road! Our gardeners waited with the man till 9:30 that night and ensured that the chamber was emptied. Nothing could be done about the pools that had collected by the roadside and in the drain. 

The next morning, along with the BBMP Asst. Engineer, we inspected the lake first. The water looked slightly dark but then it was a cloudy day. We went to the godown which was piled with huge bags and bins. 

Bags and bins inside the godown

BBMP AE warned the manager and we returned with a sample of the liquid feeling a little easier that the ingress didn't seem to have polluted the water. Once again we were wrong. 

Yesterday morning, our gardeners called to say that the fish was coming to the surface of the water all over the lake. We rushed to the lake. Indeed, the surface looked as if raindrops were falling gently causing little ripples in the water. Fish, big and small, were coming up to breathe everywhere. They do this when the water is highly polluted and lacks dissolved oxygen!

Fish struggling to breathe

Just the day before, on 2nd Aug., we had given water samples  to a private lab for testing. The last test done in April had shown DO as between 3.9 and 4.6 mg/L across five samples from different points! And yet, by noon, 4 big sized fish and 30 to 40 small ones (as the gardeners reckon) had paid the price for the low oxygen. 

Dead for no fault of theirs. Nile tilapia.

We telephoned the Member Secretary, KSPCB and apprised him of the situation. He assured us that he would send his officers to inspect and take necessary action. They came today morning. Meanwhile, our gardeners reported sighting two big dead fish and many more small ones which they didn't count. 

Big fish. Dead.

We will know what killed the fish when KSPCB analyses the sample and the water. Meanwhile, we fervently hope and pray that their number doesn't increase. This can happen if it rains and rains and rains some more.  

A few thoughts arise from this incident. The Production Manager had insisted that their products are "organic". Only a small quantity was enough to affect the fish in the lake which is now overflowing. What if this had happened in summer? 

Since we monitor our lake closely, we acted swiftly and averted a crisis. What about lakes that don't have citizen groups as stewards, as watchdogs?

Another blessing is that the Fisheries Department has agreed to exempt our little lake from commercial fishing. We are awaiting formal communication from them in this regard. However, the fisherman had caught the last lot on 27th June. What if... ? No. We don't want to speculate ....!

Our sincere thanks to KSPCB, BBMP and BWSSB for their swift action. 

Bioblitz at Puttenahalli Lake conducted on July 17th, 2022

About ten of us spent a couple of hours on Sunday morning (the 17th of July) at our Puttakere covering as much as ten metres. And yet, even as we appeared to move hardly at all, Time flew!  There was just so much to keep us absorbed. The space was a compressed scroll, opening out into discoveries of sight and sound and scent - and eventually, even taste! Kaustubh Rau who led the Bioblitz began by having us look closely at the trunk of the mahogany on which fire ants (an invasive species, apparently) ran up and down sticking and stitching their leafy nests even as the lichen grew slowly, patiently. Those ants looked like ants but we also saw "spiders" which turned out to be ants, spiders who strung up their egg sacs (little green dots) in their nest-webs, spiders who left their "signatures" in their webs. What an intricate world theirs is!

It was a beautiful morning, shot through with that special silver-gold light of the monsoon (when it's not raining). A pair of dragonflies were locked in a long embrace, butterflies flitted about, coots and grebes chased each other  in a flurry of wings across the water. At one point mynahs started calling out loudly. We turned to see what the cackling was about and watched as the mynahs escorted a long rat snake (most probably) across the path, heckling it all the while. 

We saw cormorants, darters, purple moor hens, egrets, water hens, coots, spot billed ducks, a swooping brahminy kite, a slider turtle, all hanging out comfortably in what was evidently their home - sitting on the perches, drying their wings, staring out at the water, occasionally chatting with each other or diving into the water for a snack. A mother grebe left her nest with three little chicks following. The fourth eventually left, hitching a ride on daddy's back! 

In those two hours, we peered down, gazed up, crinkled our eyes to stare at movements across the water. There were strange beautiful fruit dangling from gorgeous broad-leafed exotic trees (the "Buddha Coconut" tree); the Kadam, the "badminton ball" (even though, as one participant pointed out, badminton is not actually played with a ball!) tree, a huge leafed "money plant", the cassia, the "pride of India", all held our attention. Eventually we ended up at a shortish tree (tall-ish shrub) studded with bright red "cherries". Delicious! 

Nearing the end of the walk, we spotted a darter trying to rid itself of what looked like a ball of string from its beak, desperately rubbing it against various surfaces. It was painful to watch. The bird was evidently in some distress. The trustees were informed and they called the ARRC, hoping they would be able to bring some relief to the bird- they had released a fishing net from the beak of another darter only a week ago. The next day, we got to know that the darter had not allowed the rescue team anywhere near. No matter; it turned out that the bird had managed to get rid of the string ball all by itself, no human intervention needed after all.

Bioblitz or no, humans reverently gazing at them or just hurrying past or no, creatures live out their compelling lives - and although in a sane world their ability to do so should not lie within the power of humans, at the moment it does.  Photographs when uploaded on to the inaturalist.org platform (under "Puttenahalli Lake") allows for all these to live out their natural lives on this planet as they were meant to do.

Sonali Sathaye

South City resident

A Darter in Distress

To nurture the Puttakere we maintain a "To Do" list which is like Hydra's head. Each time we tick off one task, two appear in its place. Divya, Nupur and I met at the lake yesterday, 29th June, at 1:30 p.m. to discuss, among others, trimming trees, ground cover plants, events, share updates on new initiatives and so on. An hour later we walked past the island and saw an Oriental Darter sitting on a perch on the revetment. 

Darter in distress (Pic: Nithya)

 

Though it is listed as a near threatened species by the IUCN, we had a few of them at the lake but had never seen one so close. At first glance, it seemed to have caught a fish. Instead of throwing it up into the air and swallowing it head first, this Darter shook its head and fluttered its wings. We looked closer. What it had caught was not a fish but a little mass of fine fishing net! Even as we watched, the poor bird tried to scrape it off on the wood.

Darter bird trying to scrape off the fishing net (Pic: Nithya)

Our gardeners have learnt to see if any bird was in trouble and have even rescued a couple of them caught in the abrasive string of a paper kite. However, given that this Darter could fly or dive away, we decided to seek expert help and telephoned the Avian and Reptile Rescue Centre (ARRC). The rescue team readily agreed to come but they had to cover a distance of about 22 km maneuvering the afternoon traffic to reach the lake. We got home guard Nithya to keep an eye on the bird so that it could be located among all the Cormorants and Darters. 

At 4 o'clock the lake opened to the public. The increased footfall scared the bird and it flew to the island. That was where Ramu took the rescue team.  Even as the coracle approached, however, the bird flew to another part of the island. Its next hiding place was below the low hanging branch of a Singapore Cherry. We didn't see it swim away but it popped up on a branch several metres away.  By now a number of walkers, young and old, had gathered to watch this game of "dive and seek" which could turn deadly if the bird wasn't caught soon. With dusk falling, the two rescuers decided to look around just once more, this time from the pathway. 

Escape to the island (Pic: Nithya)

The bird must have been exhausted by then and they managed to catch it. Wrapping a thick towel around it, they gently removed the treacherous net before releasing the Darter into the water. 

Darter being released (Pic: Nithya)

Released Darter (Pic: Nithya) 

Rescuers watch the Darter swim away (Pic: Nithya) 

Our deepest gratitude to ARRC for their prompt help. 

Best regards

Usha

Event report - World Environment Day and 12 years of PNLIT

Two attendees write about the event

World Environment Day, 2022 started with an educational and inspirational morning  for the citizens of JP Nagar. Organised by Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT), Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) and Indian Music Experience (IME), this turned out to be a once in a lifetime experience.

PNLIT celebrated their 12th year as a Trust on this occasion. Ms. Sapana Rawat hosted the event while Ms. Usha Rajagopalan, the chairperson of PNLIT showed us the video of the incredible 12 yr journey of the lake. She mentioned how PNLIT works with the various government departments and how it has come so far with strong support from the neighbourhood residents. 

Ms. Kaveri from KSLSA gave an enlightening talk, highlighting waste management and citizens' role in taking care of the environment. 

Coming in all the way from North Bangalore was Mr. Samuel John, who provided an exceptional presentation with snaps on various life forms at the lake. His underwater video and the hunting sequence he had captured of one spider fooling and eating another spider were simply wonderful. He enlightened us about the important role played by each and every tiny organism present. How they all help in maintaining a rich ecosystem at the lake.

This remarkable presentation was followed by another showstopper - a vocal recital by National award winning singer Ms. Bindhumalini. Her melodious voice left everyone stunned, especially those, like me, who had shut their eyes in the dim room. I was transported into a peaceful world.

The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Ms. Sahana, who gifted the three special guests a sapling each. What a great start to Environment Day !!

- Nishka Jain, Student, 16 years

World Environment Day of 2022 and PNLIT's 12th anniversary were celebrated on 5th June 2022 in collaboration with PNLIT, IME and KSLSA. The event started on time with a welcome speech by Sapana, a PNLIT volunteer, followed by a presentation on how the lake has evolved over the last 12 years.

Usha Rajagopalan, the Chairperson of PNLIT took the audience through the journey of PNLIT since its inception till date including the ups and downs faced by the team. She shared how the issues have been handled and the lake brought back to life after 2 years of struggling with the sewage inflow. The audience consisted mainly of the donors, well-wishers of PNLIT and the neighborhood residents.

Usha's address was followed by a very thoughtful speech by Smt. Kaveri, Deputy Secretary, KSLSA. The importance of celebrating World Environment Day and this year's theme on One Earth with the tagline of 'living sustainably in harmony with nature' were beautifully articulated by her. She also pointed out our responsibility as citizens towards reducing and managing waste that we generate.

The next part of the event was a presentation by Samuel John, co-founder of social enterprise called "Spiders and the Sea". The presentation took us all to another world at the lake that we may not have observed both inside and outside the water body. He emphasized on the importance of each living organism of the lake and how they all are interdependent to complete the cycle of life. Right from the tiniest ant to algae to kites and fish, all forms of the ecosystem of our beautiful Puttenahalli lake came to life right in front of us through the pictures and videos captured with great efforts by Samuel John.

The perfect finale of the day's event was the soulful singing by Ms. Bindumalini Narayanaswamy. It was very thoughtful of her to have the lights switched off so the music could help the audience look inwards and spend a few moments to organise the thoughts and allow them to flow seamlessly. The choice of songs from Kabir's song about water to the shlokas from Vishnu purana, all blended beautifully to the theme and were delivered flawlessly through her captivating voice. The audience were mesmerized with her performance.

The event ended with a vote of thanks by Ms. Sahana, Head of Curation, IME. 

Overall, time well spent on a Sunday morning celebrating World Environment day and PNLIT's 12th anniversary.

- Nandhini Sriraaman, PNLIT Trustee

Picture credits - Nupur Jain, Aditi Mahesh

Join us in celebrating World Environment Day and 12 years of PNLIT

We're happy to invite you for World Environment Day celebration on Sunday, 5th June, 2022. This event is being held jointly with the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA), and Indian Music Experience (India's first interactive music museum). The programme will begin at 11 a.m. at the IME auditorium in Brigade Millennium, JP Nagar 7th Phase, Bangalore 560078.

As our well-wisher, you will be happy to know that we will also be celebrating the 12th year of PNLIT (on 11th June 2022). Twelve years of taking care of Puttenahalli Puttakere! 

This double celebration has a distinguished, exciting panel which includes: 

Mr. Shashidhara Shetty, Hon'ble Member-Secretary, KSLSA, who leads the activities of legal services institutions in the State. 

Mr. Samuel John, a nature (read 'spider') lover and underwater photographer who visited our Puttakere last year and can't keep himself from coming and shooting, on land, under water! You can therefore expect a unique video presentation. 

Our Chairperson, Usha Rajagopalan, will highlight the past, the present and the future of Puttenahalli Lake in a brief talk. 

The finale - a musical tribute to nature by Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy, the National award winning singer and composer. 

So, folks, welcome, welcome, welcome! Mark the date and time on your calendar: 

Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Venue: IME auditorium, Brigade Millennium, JP Nagar 7th Phase, Bangalore 560078

Day: Sunday, 5th June, 2022

This event is free and open to everyone

Do please join us for refreshments from 10:30 a.m. 

Making everyday, Earth Day

The first time we celebrated Earth Day was in 2010, to publicize the revival of our Puttakere among  residents in the area. At that point, we had no idea that we were in for a long haul. 

Earth Day 2010 at South City Apartments, Bangalore (Pic: Ashok Das)

In fact, even when we registered PNLIT in June that year, we did so to assist BBMP and ensure that the lake doesn't relapse. Signing an agreement with them in May 2011 and becoming official custodians of the lake meant no turning, or looking, back for us, trustees. Since then, the lake, and we, have come a long way. 

A serene morning at the lake, Apr 2022 (Pic: Nithya)

Folk concert at the lake on 24th Apr 2022 (Pic: Nupur Jain)

Thanks to all who have been a part of this wonderful journey. We look forward to your continued support. Here is a glimpse of life at the lake this April 2022, but there's nothing like visiting it and seeing the wonders for yourself!

Removing litter from the water (Pic: Nupur Jain)

Juvenile Great Cormorant (Pic: Madhurima Das)

Spot-billed Duck family (Pic: Jayashree Govind)

Water lilies abuzz with bees (Pic: Jayashree Govind)

Nesting box in water (Pic: Nupur Jain)

Nesting box occupied by squirrel (Pic: Ramu) 

It does indeed take a community to protect and nurture not just a lake but all natural resources. Wherever we are, let's do our bit to make the world a better place for our children to grow and flourish. Let them not have to fight the battles that we should have fought to make life on earth easier, cleaner, greener. 

Let's celebrate each day as Earth Day! 

Greetings to all. 

PNLIT team