Lake Update on World Environment Day

Greetings to all on World Environment Day. On this occasion which calls for protecting our ecosystem, here is an update about our neighbourhood lake. 

The best news is that the Puttakere is free of sewage at last, or should we say, for now? With the BWSSB's replacement drain leaking as recently as February, we had to pursue them to get it resolved. It turned out that the connecting drain outside the premises was not big enough hence the back flow was entering the lake. For almost the whole of April, the middle of the road in front of the petrol bunk (on the BM - Arekere road) was dug up. For various reasons including rain, work couldn't proceed as planned. With BBMP, we, and the slum dwellers urging them, BWSSB engineers replaced the drain and, on  22nd April, arrested the back flow.  

The slum dwellers were forced to protest because sewage had entered several of their houses too. Two years after the High Court disposed of their writ petition, we filed one on 6th March seeking the Hon'ble Court to issue directions to the government to relocate the slum and stop sewage inflow permanently. Our WP 4964/2021 came up for hearing on 31st May. The Division Bench has asked the respondents to file their objections and fixed the next hearing on 6th July. 

After the sewage influx was stopped, the BBMP contractor had less than a week before the lock down to resume his work. He managed to strengthen the bund on the slum side, but couldn't complete the pitching or do the few other pending tasks. Like him, we too have learned to take such delays in our stride and to take (greater) pleasure in the small things at the lake. Most of the pictures in this post were taken by our gardener, Ramu, with his mobile. The quality may not be very good but they will hopefully lift your spirits. We can all do with a bit of cheer in these depressing times. 

Clean rain water, 31st May 2021

Newly fixed bird perches and in the background, revetment work in progress

The rain has turned it into a swampy grassland once again and the birds are loving it! A couple of weeks ago, our gardeners had put up perches which are being put to good use by different species of birds. Their return to the lake is one of the things that boosts our morale. 

Pigeons on perches, 29th May 2021

Green and lush, 28th May 2021

Dragon fruit flowers, 4th June 2021

Terrapin getting some sun

Red-wattled Lapwing

Swamp hens and Coot

Increasingly, researchers are pointing to a direct link between destruction of nature and outbreak of diseases. On  World Environment Day, today, let us pledge to promote awareness and protection of the environment and natural resources and do our bit through the year!

Take care. Stay safe. 

Aerial view of the lake, 4th June 2021

A very rare visitor indeed!

Last Monday, when our gardeners came to the lake expecting a day of routine work, little did they know what awaited them. On the revetment near the southern side, was a small tortoise that they had never seen before in our lake. Excitedly, they sent us the pictures of the tortoise with a distinctive golden brown star-like pattern on the hard shell. We’d never seen one like it either but there was no mistaking it - it was the Indian star tortoise! Wasn’t it an endangered species? We quickly looked up online and also contacted our in-house wildlife experts, Vishnupriya and J.N. Prasad.

The Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans), considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful tortoises with its distinctive carapace, is found in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Extensive poaching for the exotic pet trade has reduced their number and threatened their existence.

To keep the tortoise safe, we took it out from the revetment and put it in an open basket. Vishnupriya and J.N. Prasad came by to see our exotic find and to guide us on how to take care of it. They also told us to contact Mr. Ganesh, RFO, Bannerghatta National Park or Dr. Roopa Satish at the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.  We contacted both of them and arranged to send the reptile over. Meanwhile, we got some greens, carrot and cauliflower for it to eat and placed the basket in our office room for the night. The next morning we shifted our “guest” into a cardboard carton and kept it outside to bask in the sun. We watched quietly as it popped its head out, walked toward the feed and started eating.

Two days later, on Wednesday morning, we took it to the RFO’s office and handed it over to them safely. Our job was done. Today morning, we received this update from Mr. Ganesh:

The star tortoise is under preliminary  medical  care at Bannerghatta and will be released to wild after a week of observation for possible infection due to human contact. Thanks for a saving a precious endangered wildlife. It makes a huge difference in protecting the species on this planet.

Thank you

Regards 

Ganesh RFO

Bannerghatta National Park

We still wonder how it came to the lake.  Did someone develop cold feet and drop it off for fear of being caught? Whatever the reason, we are glad that we were able to rescue and rehabilitate an endangered Indian star tortoise.

For more pictures, please click on the link below: 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fAFPZufc3oOw9cyHPcvPC7OPGmVAPpqq?usp=sharing

Best regards

Divya

Photos by: Ramu (PNLIT Gardener),  Rashmi (Manager) and Usha Rajagopalan 

9 today

Thanks to all those who've taken this journey with PNLIT.
We're 9 today.

(Google never forgets!)

Article in TOI

The Times of India these days is running a weekly column "Bellandur & beyond", in which it is covering lakes in Bangalore (beyond the well-known Bellandur). We are happy to share with you the article about Puttenahalli Lake, in the newspaper dated 2nd August.

Click the image to read, or read it online 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/this-lake-is-family-to-residents/articleshow/65238714.cms

A poetic tribute from a visitor to our lake

Our meetings with visitors to the lake happen either by prior appointment or by chance. We see someone looking intently at a bird or a tree or at one of our information boards. Invariably, we will go up to that person introduce ourselves and start talking.  If they happen to have a camera, you can pretty much be certain that we will strike up a conversation with the stranger. Much like Coleridge's ancient mariner. :-)  Each stranger could be a potential resource person who can help us and the lake with their knowledge, time or a donation. It doesn't matter if they are none of these. We hope they will come more frequently and develop a bond with the lake, with Nature.

Our meeting with Dr. Harini Santhanam, a post doctoral researcher at IISc. on 21st Sept. was by design. We were excited to meet someone who could give us some tips on conservation. She did exactly that. Our discussion lasted for nearly two hours and was a brainstorming of ideas and sharing experiences. 

Meetings  prearranged or accidental are followed up with an email, usually from us. Dr. Harini however wrote a poem after her visit to the lake. We were reminded of Padma Bhushan Smt. Sudha Ragunathan's song in praise of lakes she'd sung at the PNLIT fund raiser concert in Feb. 

Such tributes come from the heart and we cherish them.

Thank you, Dr. Harini!

Best

Usha

*********

Lake of love

By Dr Harini Santhanam

What is a lake? 

I asked myself

A being of joy said they

who cared for it and nurtured it 

day by day, everyday!

What did you do when the going had been tough, asked I

We pulled up our sleeves and got help, said they

We observed and not merely looked on

And we cured the maladies that affected the lake-soul each day

What do you do when the going gets tough these days,

asked I, again.

We have each other's shoulders for support, said they 

to keep the lake alive and happy, come what may!

You call it lake conservation - 

We call it lake nourishment

Then I knew that the secret road map for sustainable development  

really did exist - in passion and love for Nature
In a sweet Cosmic Play, perhaps
Nature's maladies and Nature's cures,
start and end in human hearts!

*********

The lake after the May showers

Puttenahalli Lake (Pic: Jaba)

Panoramic view (Pic: Usha Rajagopalan)

Aerial view (Pic: Geetha Balan)

With just two showers, yesterday and the day before, the water level has increased considerably making the lake an absolutely delightful sight. More photos here

Do visit the lake, take photographs and share them with us and all. 

Water in the lake again!

The recent heavy rains in Bangalore have resulted in quite a bit of water finding its way into Puttenahalli Lake, quenching the thirst of the cracking lake bed. Something like a full bottle's water getting poured into one's throat, after a long harsh summer outing. 

As a part of the summer regimen, workmen have been deweeding, and a lot of the water weeds have been taken out. The green around is looking lush. 

For those who do not live in the Puttenahalli Lake vicinity, here are some recent pictures.

6-Jun-2014 Before completion of deweeding

6-Jun-2014 Deweeding in progress

​9-Jun-2014 Lake after deweeding

Pics by Nupur Jain. More pics can be seen here.

Please help Stop Killing of Fishes in our lake

Of late, since the water in the lake has shrunk considerably, there are several small and shallow pools of water in which large fishes are located. Surprisingly these fishes are quite large (I saw one that was about 10" long).

Unfortunately a big bunch of teenage urchins have started going in and filling their sacks with fishes they kill ruthlessly. The method I saw them using was terrible - they take a heave staff and smash it on the fishes that are trapped in the shallow water.

We request all those who visit the lake, to keep a look out for this and please do not hesitate to yell out at the urchins. I did the same and quickly they took to their heels. Of course, if you are a lone lady walking on the track you may think twice.

Unfortunately due to the elections the Home Guards have been temporarily taken away thus making it easy for all to carry out such acts.

Prasanna

Illegal fishing at the lake
File pictures taken in Oct 2010

Our lake of dreams coming true

Based on a total station survey done by Enzen Global in Aug. 2011, PNLIT got the BBMP to install a  new diversion channel (DC) to harvest surface run off from the Brigade Millennium road into the lake. After some unavoidable delays, complicated government procedures, worker issues, etc. the major DC work was finally completed a month ago.

The intermittent drizzle over the past couple of weeks indicated that the DC could work but we were not sure just how well it would till the downpour last night. Glimpses of the lake lit by lightning last night were exciting, raising our hope that we tried so hard to suppress! Doesn't the brightest idea in the dark of the night seem drab in the morning? But this was not an idea. This was reality. Our DC was working and how!

23rd May 2013 (Pic: Prashant Agrawala)

Catching the first rays of the morning sun, the water glittered here, there, almost everywhere. Yes! Our Puttenahalli lake finally seemed like a lake (to quote trustee OP Ramaswamy)! This, despite the fact that the DC work is not fully complete. The BBMP is yet to replace the concrete slabs beneath the Brigade Millennium arch with a grating that would enable even more water from the road to enter the lake. We hope they will do it within a week for then the inflow will be several times more than yesterday's.

Rain water flowing from South City

Force eroded lake slope

From the new diversion channel like a waterfall

Other views

Birds are back already!

With prediction of a "normal" monsoon, we are confident that the dismal sight of a puddle in the lake even yesterday evening can be forgotten at last. The only blessing our Puttenahalli Lake will need is from the Rain God, not from an STP. 

With this, one of our dreams came true last night. Many more are still to be realized but at this point, we'd like to thank the BBMP for installing the DC, Contractor Harish for doing such a good job despite being skeptical about it functioning, to Enzen for giving us the hope two years ago that we could fill the lake with rain water. Thanks too to all our friends, supporters, volunteers and donors. Together we make a great team! 

Usha

More pictures taken by OP Ramaswamy can be seen here.

Hope and Colours at Puttenahalli Lake

In this season of colours, our lake bed may seem drab, devoid of water but for us at PNLIT, it is a sign of hope. The brown piles of drying Salvinia is the final leg of a battle we've been fighting since Aug. last year to remove the invasive fern Salvinia Molesta and to infuse new life into the lake. The way the BBMP's JCB and the men are working, we are hopeful that the last of the Salvinia will be removed by the end of the week. THEN we can welcome the rain to fill up the lake.

In spite of our preoccupation with the lake bed, we did not miss the riot of colours on the embankment. Some of the trees we'd planted in July 2010 have begun flowering and how lovely they look! A selection of photos of trees that began flowering this year are attached. A few like the tall Markhamia Lutea have been showering yellow flowers on the walking track for a year or more. The Bougainvillea has been a blaze of scorching pink and violet while preventing miscreants from cutting through the fence.

We are now setting up a small garden within an enclosure behind the Gazebo. Very soon there'll be a burst of colours here as well since most of these are flowering plants such as Hibiscus, Canna (both in two colours), Nerium, Euphorbia and others.

This is our floral thank you to our donors! We are using your donations not only for the trees or to set up the garden but also to effect many other changes at our lake. Please keep donating to PNLIT and avail of IT exemption under 80G.

 Golden Laburnum

Crepe Flower

African Tulip

 Tabebuia Argentea

Crepe Flower (in the foreground), Bougainvillea (in the background)

Garden enclosure

Garden plants awaiting planting

Text and pics: Usha Rajagopalan

The weekend is here again!

Volunteers who attended last weekend's deweeding sessions at Puttenahalli Lake admit it was hard, but satisfying work. Though we had dissuaded children from "working", there were several who accompanied their parents and finally joined in.

Here is what some of the volunteers had to say, after putting in a good few hours last Sat/ Sun morning.

Shankar Iyer

It was a great feeling to get down to the surface of the lake and  "de-weed." I had a feeling that Mother Nature was asking for a small assistance  from our side to help her bloom and extend "her healing effects of calmness" on us for the coming monsoon season..!

It was also a great place for making new friends from the neighbourhood who had just pitched in with their assistance during their regular morning walk. I was delighted  to observe  children ( 5  to 15 years) scraping away and transferring the sackful of weeds energetically.

Even though de-weeding the entire lake surface is a challenging task to be completed before the onset of monsoon, but I believe anything  is possible provided we have the drive and the passion for it.

Personally I'm committed to it as I would like to have the same experience which I had last year walking around the Puttenhalli Lake. The lake in its pristine beauty with the birds landing smoothly on the calm surface of water,  fish frolicking around on the surface, brought calmness to the mind and emphasised that nature was still beautiful as it always has been.

The only effort we humans have to put forward is to create space for nature to bloom in the current concrete jungle of our city life!

Shome Sengupta 

The men and women, boys and girls of our neighbourhood are taking small steps in protecting and nurturing the lake. Planting trees to prevent soil erosion. Weeding the waterbed to let the soil breathe. And the reason we feel so enthusiastic is that we can see our actions as firm steps towards rejuvenating the lake. in our mind, we can see the ripples of water this monsoon, and a safe haven for migratory birds in the winter.

Shana Gokul 

It was nice to see a good number of volunteers who despite their busy schedules decided to spend some time for deweeding the lake. The work in itself was not easy but all of them put in their full effort and managed to clear a substantial portion of the lake in few hours.

I am glad that my 10 year old son showed interest to join as a volunteer for deweeding the lake. It is exam time, still, in his enthusiasm to join us he did all his studies the previous day itself. I could make out his excitement on seeing big earthworms, rescuing fishes, was listening when one of the volunteer was explaining about the fish, though he was exhausted being in the sun, he enjoyed himself thoroughly and at the same time helped in whatever way he could. I am glad that I could take him to close to nature and experience it first-hand.

I am definitely coming next week with my son again and I wish more volunteers could join us in the next week's cleaning session.

Vidula K

Deweeding the Puttenahalli lake was a hands-on experience, rather unique and not given to all. We were a group of people on the lake bed, under the rising and heating sun uprooting the weed that was quietly killing the lake. I didn't know the others till afterwards but for those two hours or so we, one child of 6 years and the rest of us, adults worked in unison with determination and absolute love for our neighbourhood lake. I will go again next weekend and do my share to ensure that the killing weed is removed, that the fish have more room to swim, that sunlight falls on the water, that our lake thrives once again. 

Please join us again at Puttenahalli Lake this weekend - 

Saturday 16th March and Sunday 17th March 

7 a.m. to 10 a.m. 

Please bring a cap and drinking water for yourself. 

Volunteers needed this weekend at Puttenahalli Lake

Work on the Diversion Channel is proceeding well and with a reasonably good monsoon this year we hope to divert lots more rain water into our Puttenahalli Lake. We may even see our wish fulfilled finally - the lake bed covered with water and not a bit of ground to be seen! 

Diversion channel work in progress, Feb 2013 (Pics: Usha Rajagopalan)

Now, when the water level is at its lowest, is the right time to remove the invasive weed Salvinia Molesta from the lakebed. Will you help us get the lake ready for the monsoon? Help us get rid of the weed and bring the birds back to our lake? Help us get the lake ready for April showers?

Please volunteer your time and effort for just three hours this weekend!!

Dates: Sat. 9th and Sun. 10th March.
Time: 7 to 10 a.m.
Age: 16 years and above. There's no risk involved but we would like to focus and not have to supervise children. :-)

Volunteers will be required to wear comfortable shoes (not open sandals) and a hat. Gloves optional.
Email confirmation <puttenahalli.lake@gmail.com> will be very welcome but you can always drop in unannounced, pick up a rake and scoop out the weed this weekend!

Usha

Human Chain for Arekere Lake, 16th Feb '13

Arekere Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (ANIT) is doing everything it can, to properly save Arekere Lake. The lake is located not far from Puttenahalli Lake, on the other side of Bannerghatta Rd. Please see the map below which shows the location of Arekere Lake.   

Click to enlarge

A human chain has been planned on 16th Feb 2013, Saturday @ 9 a.m. starting at Maruti Magnolia School (red circle on the map). Please do join the effort to create more awareness about lakes in general and Arekere Lake in particular. The programme is below.    

Click to enlarge

World Wetlands Day

Not many of us would know that today, 2nd February is observed as World Wetlands Day. On this day in 1971, the Ramsar Convention (Convention on Wetlands of International Importance) was signed in Ramsar, Iran and the day has been officially celebrated since 1997.

The DNA, Bangalore today devoted an entire page of its newspaper to Bangalore's wetlands. Among other things, it makes mention of the efforts at Puttenahalli Lake and carries an interview with PNLIT's Usha Rajagopalan.

From the DNA article "Let's save our lakes"  

One of the biggest success stories of community-driven action was the rejuvenation of the Puttenahalli lake. Usha Rajagopalan, chairperson of the Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust, made it possible with a core group of five persons. As Rajagopalan avers, "With a group of 20-30, you can save the world." The Puttenahalli story went on to enjoy a sort of cult status....

Read the DNA newspaper article here

Read the interview with Usha here

The Ramsar Convention is based on the following premises:

* RECOGNIZING the interdependence of Man and his environment;

* CONSIDERING the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands as regulators of water regimes and as habitats supporting a characteristic flora and fauna, especially waterfowl;

* BEING CONVINCED that wetlands constitute a resource of great economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value, the loss of which would be irreparable;

* DESIRING to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future;

* RECOGNIZING that waterfowl in their seasonal migrations may transcend frontiers and so should be regarded as an international resource;

* BEING CONFIDENT that the conservation of wetlands and their flora and fauna can be ensured by combining far-sighted national policies with co-ordinated international action;

More related information can be found the on site of The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

Jacaranda Festival, 3rd Feb, 2013: Why BMites and friends SHOULD attend

PNLIT was pleasantly surprised by this message! Our heartfelt thanks to Brigade Millennium Jacaranda Block

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Shyam Bala
Date: Thu, Jan 31, 2013 at 11:13 PM
Subject: Jacaranda Festival on Feb 3rd, 2013: Announcements

Jacaranda Festival is a community event organized by Jacarandians for our neighboring communities to participate and share the joy.

This festival mela is filled with fun-events, carnivals, food and candies for people of all ages.

The proceeds from this event are shared with charity organizations and PNLIT is one of the chosen organization by us. 

The Jacaranda community is proud to be associated with PNLIT in keeping our lake and environment neat and clean.

Here is how you can help the PNLIT:

For the first 500 visitors to the Jacaranda Fest on Feb 3, Jacaranda will contribute Rs 10,000 to the PNLIT.

From there on, Jacaranda will contribute Rs 1,000 more for every additional 100 visitors over 500.

Please ensure that you drop your name in the box kept for this purpose and help us to support our lake. 

Please encourage PNLIT community to come, participate, promote and enjoy Jacaranda Festival and raise money for the PNLIT cause.

Thank You.

Sam Bala

Exciting times for our lake!

The Salvinia Molesta covering the surface of our little Puttenahalli Lake has not deterred all the birds! Our regulars, the Purple Swamphens, Purple Heron, Pond Herons among others had refused to leave the lake even though the invasive aquatic fern was spreading on the water. They have now been joined by a Grey Heron, a couple of Cormorants and Kingfishers! The Kingfisher especially is good news. It means that the water below the Salvinia is still fresh and alive. These were just a few of the birds we spotted in the midst of what seems like a 1001 tasks we have to do at the lake. Not that we are complaining about the tasks since we mooted them ourselves. :-)

These are exciting times for our lake. On our request the BBMP has issued a work order to execute a number of initiatives which will infuse new life into the lake.

The first of these is the Diversion Channel to draw surface rain water from the Brigade Millennium avenue road into the lake. The Channel will be laid from the BM arch to the lake. According to a Total Station survey done in Sept 2011 to assess the feasibility of diverting this water, the quantum entering through this new feeder channel will be quite substantial. The first of the massive (45 inches inner diameter) pipes have been unloaded and will be kept in place soon. The channel will be put to test during the next monsoon.

Pipes for the Diversion Channel

The contractor has also been entrusted with de-weeding the lake. Getting rid of the Salvinia Molesta is not going to be easy. It has to be removed manually from the water, dried and then disposed appropriately. The contractor's men are clearing another lake and once that is done, they will start de-weeding ours. We had only heard of Salvinia Molesta but not seen it at close quarters before. It is a beautiful aquatic fern, so decorative that it is sometimes used in home aquariums. However, the smallest fragment of the fern can double its dry weight in about two days, spread like a blanket over large water bodies and is known to have killed lakes across the world. We have learned our lesson with Salvinia Molesta. Any time in future that we spot a piece in our lake, we will pluck it out of the water. We have geared ourselves very well for this with a variety of rakes to snatch out the smallest bit of this hateful fern.

Gardeners at work clearing the slopes

While waiting for the Diversion Channel pipes to arrive, the contractor got his men to start digging a trench and laying an Irrigation Pipeline all around the lake to facilitate watering the plants. At present we get water tankers to fill the tanks and the gardeners use the wheel barrow to ferry filled buckets to water our 320 trees, many shrubs and other plants. A laborious task to say the least not to mention an expensive one. The bore wells around the lake are recharged thanks to the lake but the well operators do not reduce their charge one bit! The Irrigation Pipeline will enable us to plant two more rows of trees on the slope, countless small flowering plants between trees on the embankment, shrubs, creepers, climbers and what have you to give ourselves a green nice cover in the neighbourhood.

Irrigation Pipeline trenches

If you think these are just pipe dreams, please visit the lake and see the work happening. Perhaps you can supervise the workers and relieve us of that chore? Perhaps you may like to join us in our effort to maintain, or rather, transform a lake with people power?

Usha Rajagopalan