Sheelavantharakere is a 20-acre water body in the midst of rapidly developing Whitefield. What was once a dumping ground for builders remains a lake today thanks to the initiative show by the Palm Meadows Residents' Association. The PMRA adopted the lake in 2005 and restored it at a cost of about Rs.20 lakhs. The lake provides much needed lung space amidst the growing gated communities and office complexes. However, due to reasons ranging from policy, lack of funds, lack of monitoring by the LDA, the lake is not doing well. It's surface is covered with water hyacinth and it is rarely used as a recreational space by people residing in its vicinity.

Sheelavantharakere Lake (pic: Rajeev Yeshwanth)

"The good thing is that we have prevented any further encroachment," says Sridhar Pai, a resident of Palm Meadows. The future plan is have the entire foreshore area landscaped and develop a small island with a herb garden in the middle of the lake.

The Lake Development Authority (LDA) came up with its adopt-a-lake scheme in 2004 to involve city stakeholders in their maintenance. Given the fact that lakes play a vital role in the ecology of Bangalore their preservation cannot be stressed enough. Moreover, many of these lakes are situated in residential areas of the city and provide vital lung space for residents of the area.

Any agency interested in adopting a lake has to be approved by the LDA. It then has to submit a detailed project report spelling out the plan and works to be carried out and the investment possible. Once this is approved, a technical presentation has to be made to the technical sub-committee. The entire cost of restoration and maintenance as per the approved plan has to be borne by the adopting agency. But the LDA and other government agencies like the Forest Department may also collaborate with them. Those agencies situated in the proximity of the lake concerned will be given preference over others.

An agency adopting a lake has to carry out the core works of desilting, deweeding, fencing and diversion of sewage. Apart from this the agency can go in for beautification of the foreshore area with a park jogging track and other amenities on a non-profit basis.

The period for adoption is for five years and the adopting agency has to ensure that the lake is well maintained and no encroachment takes place. Any technical assistance required for restoring and managing a lake is extended by the LDA and subject to approval by the government, the LDA could even execute the sanctioned restoration plan.

However, the response to the LDA's adopt-a-lake scheme has been lukewarm. So far only 6 lakes have been adopted. Apart from Sheelavantharakere, the others are Chellakere (in HRBR Layout, adopted by the Royal Concord Education Trust), Kelaginkere (in Kaggadaspura, adopted by Bagmane Developers, Kundanahalli lake (adopted by Kalyani Developers), Mahadevapura lake (adopted by Abishek Developers) and Nayandahalli lake (in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, adopted by the Rajarajeshwari Temple Trust). The adopting agency has to deposit 1 per cent of the guidance value for the area in which the lake is located (a minimum of Rs. 10,000 and a maximum of Rs. 50,000 per acre) with the LDA.

Chellakere Lake (pic: Rajeev Yeshwanth)

"We have been requesting various corporates to adopt a lake but most of them don't seem to be interested", laments Arvind Jannu, Secretary, Department of Forests, Environment and Ecology, Government of Karnataka.

There are also concerns of the fence eating the crop, and the LDA says it is in the process of drafting guidelines for those who wish to adopt a lake. "They will be prohibited from doing anything which reduces the lake's holding capacity or damages the quality of water in it. If the adopting agency transgresses the guidelines we can take back the lake," says B K Dikshit, Conservator of Forests with the LDA. The LDA and the government will closely monitor and inspect the upkeep of the lake during the adoption period. "We are thinking of putting up for adoption only those lakes that are 15 acres or less," says Dikshit. The proposed guidelines will ask for voluntary disclosure of past record. The adoptee will have to furnish details of any past misdemeanours like encroachment, police cases, court cases, etc., and third party monitoring.

Bangalore's lakes in the past have fallen prey to real estate sharks. In fact, this August, a citizen filed a public interest litigation has been filed against Bagmane Developers, who have adopted Kelaginkere, for encroaching on the lake. The case is yet to come up for hearing.

Encroachments apart, there are concerns of whether the adopting organisations have been able to maintain the lakes well. Chellakere, an 8 acre water body in HRBR Layout, has been adopted by the Royal Concord Education Trust in 2006. Debris from the lake bed has been removed. A fence was erected but it is broken today. "The place was overgrown and dirty. We have taken it up as a social service and are ready to invest Rs. 40-50 lakh in improving the lake," claims Shivrame Gowda, Chairman, Royal Concord Education Trust. But Chellakere presents a picture of neglect today and will take a lot to be rejuvenated.

The basic problem is that the LDA is yet to finetune its policy. It has no monitoring mechanism at the moment. Even though those adopting lakes have to submit a detailed proposal for its maintenance and beautification the LDA has not seen to it that the plans are actually implemented. The major accomplishment as in the case of Pam Meadows and Chellakere is that there has been no further encroachment and the lakes' have been fenced.

The challenges in lake rejuvenation are many. These include clearing the foreshore area of any encroachments by vested interests, stopping sewage from flowing into the lake from nearby layouts, sensitising residents and commercial interests about the importance of preserving the lake and involving them in its maintenance. An organisation which might be enthusiastic about adopting the lake at first might soon lose interest given the range of problems it would have to confront.

While the adopt-a-lake scheme is a step in the right direction, much more needs to be done to make it a success. Many more organisations need to come forward and express an interest in adopting a lake in the interests of the community at large.

Rajeev Yeshwanth is a Koramangala-based freelance journalist.

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