The evolution of the Puttenahalli lake !

 

Shocking view of the lake in 2009                         

Several years ago I decided to write about the Puttenahalli Lake JP Nagar 7th Phase, South Bangalore after an acquaintance wrote to me while I was working in the Deccan Herald. They had started doing some work on rejuvenating the lake and this was the year 2006. They tried hard but as usual there was the dirty underbelly of Bangalore who did not care and a lot of building debris continued to be offloaded on the lake bed in the dead of night.  As you can see in the picture it had become a cess pool of garbage and raw sewage effluents released untreated into the lake.

When the lady contacted me she said that it was a group of concerned citizens under the banner of PNLIT who had taken the onus of rejuvenating the lake. Well before all the flooding thats happening in Bangalore. The lake clean up was managed with funding in the group and they held several events to showcase the flora and fauna of the lake. 

The following are some of the trees and plants that grow around the Puttenahalli Lake

• Mahogany
• Cadamba
• Portia tree
• Singapore cherry
• Paradise tree
• Gmelina arborea
• Badminton-ball tree
• Pterygota alata (Buddha coconut)

 

The lake in 2011 with ongoing work

A lot of work carried on from 2009 with tree planting etc and I remember writing a story about the first  Blue Heron sighting on the lake and it generated so much excitement in the group-- you can read my stories in the Hindu below--

https://www.puttenahallilake.in/media-coverage/a-lake-revived

https://www.puttenahallilake.in/media-coverage/return-of-the-native

The work has never stopped and I get regular yearly updates on how the lake is doing from the President Usha R. Makes me fell so good that they have never given up and it probably stood them in good stead with the flooding happening in Bangalore. Smart people!

The transformation in 2022!

It's such an amazing transformation! Look at the first picture and then look at this picture! Makes one's heart swell with the fact that there ARE people who want to help and support whats going on with keeping the lake clean and healthy. Its an ecosystem we need to maintain  and builders need to be fined heavily if they let raw sewage into the lake. Lets use our common sense. That sewage percolates down into the water table and we will pump that polluted water up to drink!

My stories!

I was working on a freelance basis with The Hindu and I knew that saving the lakes of Bangalore was the ONLY way the city could save our water table and be a great means of RWH ( Rain Water Harvesting). Slowly over time, not only was the lake revived by the group, BUT,  I wrote about the first spectacular Purple Heron that had visited the lake after decades.

  
https://www.indiawaterportal.org/news/lake-revived-purple-heron-visits-restored-puttenahalli-lake-bangalore-article-hindu

Click and read about the Purple Heron!

 

And then again I wrote about the beautiful Garganey ducks which had come from Europe to winter in the lake. The birders of the city were ecstatic and the PNLIT group were absolutely thrilled.

 

https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/ducking-it/article2674839.ece

Click and read about the Garganey Ducks