ABOUT LAKE | PNLIT

ABOUT
PUTTENAHALLI LAKE

MY STORY

From a dying lake to a rich ecosystem in the midst of high rise buildings is not a miracle. It is the outcome of several years of perseverance and dedicated work. It is a testimony of how one person’s dream can become a reality with support from a strong and dedicated team, community and the municipality.

In late 2008, our chairperson, Usha Rajagopalan, mooted a campaign to save the lake from certain extinction. It failed. Land is gold in Bengaluru, the technology capital of India. When lakes are vanishing in hundreds, who will confront the political – real estate nexus? With corruption so rampant, and the bureaucracy so apathetic, why should one even attempt to save any lake? It is the responsibility of the government, not ours. Why else do we pay taxes?

Stonewalled but determined, Usha turned to her neighbour, Ashwin Mahesh, an urbanist who got the municipality, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), to include Puttenahalli in their current list of lakes to be rejuvenated.

The DPR for Puttenahalli Lake can be seen here

2000

2004

2023

2000

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Work began with surveying and fencing the boundary in August 2009 followed by desilting, building the bund, providing inlets, waste weir and reviving the lake. Usha’s Save the Lake team and the South City apartment association held an Earth Day celebration to publicize the rejuvenation in the neighbourhood. A happy outcome was the formation of Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust ( PNLIT) with Prasanna Vynatheya, Arathi Manay and OP Ramaswamy from Brigade Millennium apartment and Usha as the founder trustees.

REVIVAL TIMELINE

2009

AUG- BBMP started the rejuvenation of the lake by fencing the boundary and carrying out other related work.

2010

APR- Earth Day Celebrations in South city Apts.
JUN- PNLIT registered as a Trust.
JUL- Tree plantation. MLA Satish Reddy led residents in planting 125 saplings.

2011

MAY- Signed MoU with BBMP and became official custodians of the lake.

2013

MAR- Two incidents of fire on the embankment were handled by the fire brigade.
APR- The lake got covered in weeds as a result of rainwater filling the lake. Deweeding was carried out.
MAY- Began harvesting surface runoff from the adjacent Brigade Millennium avenue into the lake.

2015

MAY- Discharge of treated water from South City STP to the lake after a tripartite agreement with BBMP, South City owners’ association and PNLIT.
NOV- Fisheries Department auctioned lake for commercial fishing.

2016

JUN- Prototype of Artificial Floating Islands (AFI) introduced. These are platforms bearing biofilter plant species which purify the water by absorbing nutrients from the water.
JUL-Monthly testing and analysis of water samples to ascertain the quality .
JUL-Lake overflows for the first time since rejuvenation.

2017

FEB- Cleaning and revamping of wetland
JUN- AFIs introduced into the wetland to purify water.
AUG- Demonstrated making and using AFI at Madiwala Lake.AFIs are now used in lakes such as Agara, Kempambudi, Hebbagodi, and Maregondanahalli.
DEC- Pergola installed.

2018

FEB- With BBMP marking the boundary, we secured the main entrance with a fence and gate. This had been pending from 2009.
MAR- Sewage entered from adjoining Natraja residential layout, led to a massive fish kill over the next few days. A steady trickle of raw sewage influx became a regular feature.

2019

APR- Aerator fountain installed to aerate the water & offset the impact of the sewage.
MAY- Clearing and revamping of the Main Island. Fruit bearing plants are planted.
JUN- Residents and shop owners on Natraja road opened up the underground drain and connected it directly to the lake. Sewage gushed into the lake undoing all our work.

2020

JUN- Celebrated 10yrs of PNLIT
AUG- On the occasion of the 10th year, Tree boards and Donor boards were put up on the trees.

2021

FEB -The underground drain was replaced, leaks plugged and the lake is finally free of sewage.
FEB-DEC- BBMP desilted the lake & wetland, completed inner fencing on slum side, constructed a siltation & biofiltration chamber and relaid the walkway.
MAY- Bird perches were installed in the lake bed.
JUL- Lake was deweeded
OCT- The freshly painted fountain was reinstated in the water..

2022

MAR- A brood of nine Spot-billed ducklings were spotted. Brahminy kite was also spotted with a chick.
JUL- Both the garbage corners of the lake is cleared and garden is planted.

2023