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Time of India
19 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Citizens' effort: Bengaluru's B Channasandra Lake rejuvenated after 30 years of neglect
Bengaluru: After over three decades of neglect, B Channasandra Lake in Kasturinagar has finally been revived, thanks to sheer community effort and crucial CSR support. Once a foul-smelling dumping ground plagued by encroachments and illegal activities, the lake was officially inaugurated Saturday to applause, tears and deep appreciation from neighbourhood residents. The revival journey, led by locals, began unexpectedly last year when members of Kasturinagar Residents' Welfare Association (KRWA), while seeking a spot for Vanamahotsava, realised there was no usable public land. A barren, garbage-laden patch, once a 19-acre lake and reduced to 6.5 acres due to encroachments, in the vicinity of the locality, caught attention of the residents. Recognising the ecological potential of the space, residents initially pooled in money and later, reached out to Hands on CSR, a non-profit that onboarded tech firm CGI to fund the lake restoration. Even though the land belongs to forest department, the lake has been under BBMP's custody since 2006. N Ravindra Kumar, DCF, Bengaluru Urban, said: "We gave permission last year when residents approached us. It makes me proud to see how they came together to revive a forgotten lake without govt funds and purely through their own contributions and CSR support. This is a powerful example of how people can protect nature when they choose to act. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pinga-Pinga e HBP? Tome isso 1x ao dia se tem mais de 40 anos Portal Saúde do Homem Clique aqui Undo " Supporting citizens' initiative, Hands on CSR chipped in with the technical part — desilting, removing waste, constructing bunds and setting up water inlets and outlets. "We focused on ecological functionality rather than focussing on beautification of the waterbody," said Gurunandan Rao, founder of Hands on CSR. Future plans include developing a mini-forest with endangered native species like ebony and elephant apple trees to boost biodiversity. The effort wasn't just technical — it was deeply personal and collective. Residents pooled in Rs 1,000 each month to fund the 800-foot boundary wall, spending over Rs 8 lakh. Somsekhar P, KRWA secretary, recalled, "The place was once a carcass dump. We started with a Vanamahotsava and ended up reclaiming a lost lake. Had we not acted, even the remaining 6.5 acres would have disappeared soon." For longtime residents like Archana Shekar, the transformation has been emotional. "I've lived here 25 years and didn't even know this was a lake. Now, I can enjoy the lake in my neighbourhood the way I relish the one in my native village." Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
The Hindu
a day ago
- General
- The Hindu
Once in neglect, Channasandra lake gets second lease of life
Residents rejoice in the inaugural event as collaborative efforts to revive lake pays off Around 9 a.m. on Saturday, a crowd of around 100 took to the streets of Kasturinagar in East Bengaluru. Members of the Kasturinagar Welfare Association (KWA) and the residents danced, while women and children dressed in green and white were holding placards, as they made their way to the B. Channasandra lake. Once spanning about 19 acres in area, the lake over the years shrank to 6.3 acres due to neglect, dumping of garbage and construction debris, and sewage flowing in. As Bengaluru faced one of its worst droughts in 2023, the KWA and the residents united to revive the lake that had been long neglected. June 14 marked the formal inauguration of a revived B. Channasandra lake, which N. Ravindrakumar, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bengaluru, termed as a testament to the work put in by the residents of Kasturinagar. The invite to the event, too, was along similar lines. 'When people come together, nature finds its way back,' he said. 'Initially, a group of 100 volunteers decided to contribute ₹1,000 every month as we began to work on the lake,' said Abhijith N.S., a KWA volunteer. Initial work involved desilting the lake using a tractor and heavy machinery as garbage was removed and the land was levelled along the waterbody. A compound wall was later built around the lake. As the project grew in size, KWA collaborated with Hands on CSR, an NGO that helped with funding, and CGI, a software company, that helped release CSI funds which was necessary to complete the project. Since the lake came under the Karnataka Forest Department, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) was issued by Mr. Ravindra Kumar as work began from October 11 last year. The excavation lasted around five weeks as further desilting and desludging were done. The estimated cost of the project totalled ₹1.15 crore with a three phased funding. The project faced a few challenges. 'Sometimes, we received threats from real estate agents who had their eye on the land, but thanks to the Forest Department, everything went smoothly. We aim to preserve and make this as a forest lake,' Mr. Abhijith said.
