PNLIT quits nurturing Puttenahalli Puttakere - Lakes Division order

It is with a heavy heart that we inform you that PNLIT has withdrawn from protecting and nurturing Puttenahalli Puttakere from 03 July 2025. We were issued a notice to do so by the Lakes Division, BBMP (Notice can be seen in Kannada and English translation). It will come as a shock to you, our associates, well-wishers and supporters, but we had been trying to diffuse and avert a showdown for the last two years. 

PNLIT was registered in June 2010 but our endeavour to save the lake began earlier. We shall be as brief and precise in summing up our experience of nearly two decades. 

 

Moved by the plight of the dying lake in our locality, we wanted to moot a public campaign in 2008 to get the municipality to save the lake. Residents in the area tried to dissuade us that government officials would not listen to ordinary people; that lakes were the responsibility of the municipality, not ours, tax payers, etc. We didn’t listen to them and were glad we didn’t. 

 

BBMP rejuvenated the lake in 2009/2010 and their Environment Cell team was so encouraging and cooperative that it led to our signing an MoU with them on 17th May 2011 and we became Bengaluru’s first citizen caretakers of a lake. With regard to financial assistance to meet maintenance expenses, we were told, “If we (BBMP) had the money, why would we give the lake to you?” 

 

Indeed, as per the MoU 2011 - 2014, Section 1. Role of PNLIT item xvii, we had to “Bear the full cost of all the above (maintenance) activities (i to xvi).” 

 

We were also told that if anyone complained about the bad condition of the lake, we would be held responsible. 

 

We took our new assignment seriously and involved the neighbourhood. People’s skepticism gave way to enthusiastic participation. They pitched in with volunteer and fund support through donations. [Note PNLIT is a registered charitable trust with 80G exemption for donors, and fully audited and tax compliant.] 

 

We hired the staff and carried out developments which, over the years transformed the lake into a thriving, rich ecosystem. This would not have been possible without the unflagging support of the then Environment Cell and indeed, several other government departments and the community. PNLIT was the bridge between them. We were deeply grateful for their support.

 

In 2020, the 10^th year of PNLIT, we gifted longtime supporters with a tree in their name and the next year, 2021, our nomination fetched BBMP the Earth Day Network Star Municipal Leadership award for its work in restoring 18 lakes in Bengaluru and initiating work on seven more. Following the Lakes Division notice, we have removed the name boards.

Board names

Removing the board names

 

Star Municipal Leadership Trophy

In Mar 2020, BBMP did not renew their MoUs with us, citizen groups, citing a High Court order in WP 38401/2014 passed on 04 March 2020 which read “...the State Government shall not execute any such MOU with any Corporate Entity (emphasis added). However, this order will not prevent the State Government from taking funds from the Corporate Entities for rejuvenation of lakes.” 

 

Four of us, citizen groups, were admitted as respondents to the writ in 2021 and we waited to tell the Hon’ble Court about our role and contribution to lake conservation. On the strength of the support from the then Lakes Division, we continued to maintain Puttakere for the next two years and then they turned volte face. We were unable to find out the reasons for this sudden loss of trust and breakdown in communication. We started suspending our volunteer engagements, environment awareness programmes, requested donors to withhold their contributions for lake maintenance, and reduced our activities to essential gardening chores. In the belief that the biggest threats to a lake were sewage influx and encroachment, we continued to protect the lake from these. After 17 years, we were on the verge of achieving the seemingly impossible goal of rehabilitating those residing illegally in the lake premises when we got the marching orders. Links to Prajavani reports in English of 27^th and 30^th March 2025. https://keremanju.blogspot.com/2025/05/puttenahalli-lake-neglect-of.html; 

https://keremanju.blogspot.com/2025/05/puttenahalli-lake-rehabilitation-in.html

 

This notice was the second from the Lakes Division. The first (Ref. No. AEE/Lakes (South)/PR/25/2023-24 dated 09/10/2023) asked us to stop treated water inflow from the STP in South City with immediate effect as it was ‘polluting’ the lake. We were served the notice even after sending photographs and documents to show that the toxic pollutant was leachate from the garbage trucks outside the apartment complex and that the treated water in fact, was diluting it. We continued to be questioned till we resolved it once and for all in March 2025 through MLA Shri M Krishnappa who got the garbage transfer point shifted. 

 

Though uncertain about the future, we decided to celebrate the 15^th year of PNLIT with our stakeholders. We had already invited, in person, the heads of government departments when we received the notice on 19^th June. We went ahead with our celebration on the 28th. Two days later, we sent our response to the notice and withdrew our staff. 

 

We hope that the court will not delay its verdict and that it would enable BBMP to renew their MOU with us and our fellow citizen groups. Meanwhile, our Trust Deed permits other initiatives to improve the areas surrounding the lake. We will consider these in due course. For the present, we shall take a break from community service, surely well-deserved after more than 15 years of “living with the lake” each day! 

 

Having expelled us, the Lakes Division is bound to take excellent care of Puttenahalli Puttakere. We’d like to urge them to take equally good care of all the lakes that still exist in the city and which are in their custody because every lake matters. 

 

Puttenahalli Lake was a triumph of collective action. This video captured the essence of the endeavour.

 

With heartfelt thanks to all for your tremendous support to PNLIT and Puttenahalli Puttakere. 

PNLIT Trustees

Citizen lake groups left in the lurch

Greetings to all on Karnataka Rajyotsava Day. 

The continuous assault on hundreds of Bangalore’s famed lakes by vested interests prompted concerned citizens to raise the issue of our deteriorating water bodies with the state government, and the city administration. BBMP’s Lakes department lacked the funds and bandwidth to both rejuvenate lakes, and maintain them thereafter. The stress on the system was visible as rejuvenated lakes went back into various states of disrepair over time. 

In 2009, the team under the leadership of Mr. B.V. Satish, then Chief Engineer, BBMP Lakes, took the extraordinarily progressive step of inviting neighbourhood residents  to participate in lake rejuvenation through discussions, and incorporating suggestions  from community representatives during rejuvenation. They then signed MoUs with these resident groups to maintain the rejuvenated lakes. Between 2011 and 2019, BBMP had signed MoUs with citizen-led, not-for-profit trusts such as PNLIT, MAPSAS, JaLaposhan and Iblur Environs Trust to maintain and nurture eight lakes in all. Under the stewardship of each group, these lakes began to thrive, becoming rich in biodiversity, and enhancing the quality of life of people in the neighborhood. With public interest mounting and leading to the formation of other groups, registered and informal, it seemed as if there was finally hope for the rest of the city’s lakes.

In 2020, based on a direction of the hon'ble High Court, against a WP 38401/2014 dated 04/03/2020 which read “... the State Government shall not execute any such MOU with any Corporate Entity”, BBMP stopped renewing MoUs with these citizen groups, even though the High Court explicitly forbade BBMP from engaging with corporate entities.

The court was unaware of the existing partnerships between BBMP and citizen groups for the upkeep of rejuvenated lakes, and BBMP did not seek the court’s permission to renew our MoUs.The citizen groups filed Interlocutory Applications on 29/06/2021 to the above-mentioned WP; these, however, have not been heard and admitted because of the elevation of the concerned Chief Justice to the Supreme Court of India.

To resolve this impasse, we met Mr Gaurav Gupta, Commissioner BBMP, and top officials from the BBMP Lakes department on 25th October 2021. He appreciated our contribution, and welcomed community participation, especially since we ensured continuity in lake upkeep even as officers within the BBMP were shifted constantly. However, till the hon’ble High Court resumes the hearings in WP 38401/2014, listens to our submissions and gives due directions, we have to remain ‘unofficial’ lake custodians. Even as BBMP struggles to resolve the issue of formal MoUs with citizen groups, we continue to oversee the upkeep of these precious water bodies.

Usha Rajagopalan, Chairperson, PNLIT 
Mukund Kumar, Trustee, Iblur Environs Trust Annapurna Kamath, Trustee, JaLaPoshan Trust Subramanian Sankaran, Managing Trustee, MAPSAS Trust

Related recent newspaper reports dated 30/10/2021 and 31/10/2021

 

Please walk past the lake on 13th to reach MLR

Please use "Doosra" as an excuse to walk through the lake and reach MLR Convention Centre. You'll see that the water level is low. It is covered with Salvinia Molesta. BUT don't miss the birds. It is likely that you can id the birds yourself but just in case you want to know - Purple Moor Hens are plenty. So also pond herons. The Purple Heron (we have a pair) take a little spotting. They are big but sit so still while waiting for prey, you may not even notice them. The Ashy Prinias are plenty too but they are small, and not easy to spot either unless they fly out into the open. They are also called warblers and you may hear their cheerful "tweet ... tweet." Other birds to look out for are: White breasted Kingfishers, White breasted Waterhens, Bronze winged Jacanas, Tailor birds, sun birds and mynahs. All these are our resident birds - Salvinia or no Salvinia. Bless them!

Going from South City, please take the walking track on the left. (The pathway on the slum side has been dug up further ahead for the BWSSB to lay a bigger Under Ground Drainage pipeline.) As you walk along the track, look at the assorted trees. The smaller ones near the turning were planted only a few months ago. Those towards the Gazebo were planted from July 2010. Some are very tall and some have begun flowering as well. As part of the 3rd phase, the BBMP has laid an irrigation pipeline all along the fence. To prevent miscreants from ripping it up, it is laid underground. However, you will see a short length of blue - grey plastic occasionally jutting out of the ground. A valve will be fixed to these ends. Once water connection is given, we will fix a hose pipe and draw water from these points. When it becomes operational, we intend to plant shrubs between two trees within the inner grill. The shrubs will serve the dual purpose of attracting butterflies while deterring trespassers from crossing the fence.

As you come out of the lake premises, the huge concrete pipe lengths outside are for the diversion channel to harvest rain water from Brigade Millennium (BM) road into the lake. The contractor wanted to begin work last week. We requested him to do so after the play on Sunday (so that you can walk through to reach MLR). Our lake is one of the very few in the city to be free of sewage inflow, hence the low water level. With the new diversion channel in place, we hope more rain water will enter the lake. Well before monsoon, the contractor will remove the Salvinia from the surface of the water. More birds will then return to the lake making it once again a little bird sanctuary in our neighbourhood! 

After this walk or after seeing the play, if you feel peckish please visit the MLR Snacks counter. Kai Ruchi will be serving Hot Bhajji, chaats, hot and cold beverages at reasonable rates.

On your way back from MLR, take another good look around the lake and its premises. Together with the BBMP we are slowly inching towards transforming the lake with lots of clean water, birds and butterflies. We need your support to sustain our work. Come to the lake as often as you want, help us effect the transformation!

Oh yes! If you didn't get donor passes in advance, it doesn't matter. You can get them at the venue. Two shows: 3.30 and 7 p.m. Each pass goes to nurturing the lake and remember, you can claim IT exemption u/s 80G. Go for it! See Doosra! Help our lake!

Those from BM side (who can reach MLR without crossing the lake) can still take a walk to the lake before coming back to MLR!

PNLIT Team

13th Jan 2013, A play fundraiser: Doosra - The Story of Cricket

SAVE THE DATE: Sunday 13th Jan 2012 

Two shows - 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Doosra - The Story of Cricket is being staged at MLR Convention Centre, Brigade Millennium, J.P. Nagar 7th Phase. 

Come watch this quality English play and also help in the cause of lake restoration and maintenance.

For donor passes, in aid of PNLIT, contact:
 - Sujata, Usha, Nupur, Ramaswamy (details on the poster).