BENGALURU: As part of the complete lake revival exercise and its ecosystem, Kasturinagar residents, along with an NGO, planted 600 fruit and shade-giving saplings across 6.5 acres of the reclaimed Kasturinagar Lake.
The residents said that a year ago, they pooled in over Rs 40 lakh and revived the dead water body, which is under the Forest department now. As bird activity has increased, including peahen and peacock sightings in the lake premises, the association decided to plant fruit and plant saplings with a dual purpose.
“We wanted a dedicated lake boundary, and as part of it, we had already planted a few saplings last year. Now, we have planted jamun, guava, sapota, bird cherry and other saplings for birds on land reclaimed from encroachment,” said Abhijith MS, member, Kasturinagar Welfare Association.
Residents have had to fight the land mafia and garbage mafia to save the lake as illegal debris was being dumped, and till 2024, there was no trace of a water body. They have run from pillar to post to find the original custodian of the 6.5acres of forest land.
While 19 acres were notified for the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) around 1986 for the formation of East of NGEF, subsequently, 2 acres were allotted to the Railways and 3 acres for Outer Ring Road.
“As per the Laxman Rao Committee report, the remaining 13 acres were ordered to be handed over to the Forest department in 1989. By the time the Forest department could act, BDA had already formed the layout on 6.5 acres of lake land too. In 1990, the Forest department was able to take only the remaining 6.5 acres.
In 2010, a government order was passed for handing over all the lakes to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike. The same year, another order was passed, stating that 43 lakes, including Kasturinagar Lake, were to be handed over to BDA for its development until 2019, but the BDA failed to restore or review the water bodies,” said a senior citizen.
In 2019, a GO was issued, stating that 43 lakes under BDA were also to be transferred to BBMP, but the latter did not accept it due to a mismatch in the extent of land and physical availability of land records.
“It became no-man’s land as no one claimed ownership. But the RTC showed that about 13.20 acres, including the lake land, were still in the Forest department’s custody, and the Deputy Conservator of Forests obliged us and gave permission to residents and the NGO to review it. We raised funds and turned it into a lake with boundaries for tree saplings,” said Abhijith MS.
