Once a hyacinthcovered hub for
shady activities,
Agara Lake in
Koramangala-HSR Layout is now a freshwater paradise for residents and dozens of
species of birds and fish. And, it’s probably the only lake in Bengaluru with a
Twitter handle.
The transformation began quite recently, around five years ago. Until then, residents who lived nearby did their own bit to clean up the lake but it wasn’t amounting to much. In 2013, they decided
to pool their efforts and formed the Agara Lake Protection and Management Society (ALPMS). With support and a handsome Rs 16 crore from the state government released last year, the society has managed a miracle of sorts.
Desilted last year, the 97-acre lake filled up after a record rainfall between August and October. With a children’s playground on one side and bounded by a walking and cycle track, the lake now gets up to 15,000 visitors over the weekend. The bustle is music to the ears of residents, who recall the days when trucks and cattle had taken over the lake bed.
“What was unique to the revival was the way we collaborated with government officers, especially the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA). There was no ‘usversus-them’ feeling, instead we wanted to go about the whole process in a constructive manner,” said Kavitha Reddy, co-founder and vicepresident of the society.
One of their biggest victories, said volunteers, was the shifting of a sewage treatment plant (STP) initially supposed to come up on the lake land. “Had the STP been installed, it would have eaten up half the wetland area. It is natural for the water levels of a lake to fluctuate during the year, and no extra treated water is required as the monsoon is more than enough to fill up the lake,” she added. Guards have now been appointed to regulate the sluice gates to ensure rainwater recharges the waterbody.
While the lake is now a meeting point for fitness enthusiasts, volunteers said they were not for commercialisation and hence resisted attempts to set up a boat bay and lookout point.
Jayakrishnan G, a member of the society, said: “I came to this neighbourhood in 2000, and shifted to this location largely for the lake.
Even then, I recognised its potential.” While KCLDA carries out regular maintenance of the lake, the society pitches in during the weekends.
“A board has been put up asking all those who are interested to register and participate in the cleaning drive which takes place every Saturday and Sunday. Those who volunteer clean up the walkway and lake surroundings,” said Suresh B Bhadraiah, general secretary and co-founder of ALPMS. Besides Suresh, Kavitha and Jayakrishnan, the core members of the society are Brigadier RS Murthy, Retd Air Marshall Rajkumar and Munivenkatappa.
