BENGALURU: On the eve of Income Tax Day celebrations, officials of the department undertook an afforestation drive in and around Puttenahalli Lake. They planted saplings and threw seed balls. The drive was jointly organized by Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax BR Balakrishnan, Director General of Income Tax (investigation) Patanjali, other IT officials, forest department officials and members of Puttenahalli Lake and Bird Conservation Trust.
“We will work together to rejuvenate the lake. Last year, the department had developed the surroundings near Madiwala Lake,” said an IT official.
The Lake was declared as a bird conservation reserve around 10 years back. It was then home to over 7,000 bird species. But, gradually it turned into a dumping site.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Punati Sridhar, who inspected the lake on Tuesday, said that there is a need for construction of a sewage treatment plant (STP) to ensure that only treated water enters the lakes. At present the lake is dry as the sewage lines have been diverted.