BENGALURU: Residents of Kasturi Nagar in CV Raman Nagar have taken the initiative to save 6.19 acre of the Banaswadi-Channasandra (B Channasandra) Lake in CV Raman Nagar assembly constituency in Bengaluru East Taluk. After repeated appeals to the authorities fell on deaf ears, the residents, with support from an NGO, initiated fencing the lake’s buffer zone.
According to residents, the lake originally spanned 19.17 acre as per the forest department records. However, due to rampant encroachment, its size has drastically reduced, with parts of the lake being used to dump debris, plastic waste, and even burn garbage.
The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) began developing the Kasturi Nagar Layout in 1989, forming it on about 6.35 acres of the lake area. Earlier, 4 acres had a;ready been taken over by the Railway Department.
“Construction debris and plastic waste were regularly dumped in the lake, and there were even incidents of bodies being dumped in the past,” said Abhijith MS, a member of the Kasturi Nagar Lake Rescue Team. “The Kasturi Nagar Welfare Association and Lake Rescue Team approached BBMP and BDA for help, but the agencies did not respond.
Eventually, it was discovered that the lake’s Record of Rights, Tenancy, and Crops (RTC) was under the Forest Department. Deputy Conservator Of Forest (Urban) Ravindra issued an NOC for rejuvenation. With the help of an NGO, we cleared silt, constructed inlet and outlet channels, and installed a 1,000 foot-long running fence,” he explained.
He also mentioned that the residents raised around Rs 6.5 lakh through community contribution to protect the lake.
Murugan Munirathnam, vice president of Kasturi Nagar Welfare Association, said that despite efforts, BBMP and BDA kept passing the responsibility. “In 2019, BDA wanted to hand over the lake to BBMP, but the Palike refused due to clear documentation. Once it was confirmed that the lake belongs to the Forest Department, we escalated the matter to Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, who promised to visit the area soon,” said Munirathnam.
He added that, with support from the NGO ‘Hands-On’ and CSR funding, nearly Rs 40 lakh has been spent so far on the lake’s restoration. DCF Ravindra said the department issued an NOC after residents expressed their willingness to protect the water body. “The residents are now set to plant 6,000 saplings and create a Miyawaki forest around the lake,” he added.