ECOLOGY REPORT: SARAKKI LAKE

BY: GROUP 8
Bangalore was previously known as “THE CITY OF LAKES” .In the early 1950s
there were 262 lakes, tanks and water in Bangalore. The lakes are mainly man-
made most of them created by early rulers of the city. In the absence of a river
close-by, Bangalore depended heavily on lakes for its drinking water
requirements. Over the years the lakes have been disappearing one-by-one, along
with the general knowledge that they even existed.

WHERE DID THE LAKES GO?

Due to increasing urbanization and consequent demand for land, the water
bodies were sacrificed for ‘development / infrastructural requirements’ of the
city. Moreover due to exploitation and neglection the condition of the lake has
deteriorated. Also the dumping of debris and garbage, inflow of sewage led to
degradation of lakes to an extent that it was easier to close them up to save
them. Malaria scare was spread far and wide and the result was that instead of
finding ways to eliminate malaria-causing mosquitoes, water-bodies were
eliminated

Now that we have talked about the lakes in Bangalore and how their
condition has depleted now we should know:

THE IMPORTANCE OF LAKES IN GENERAL:

Lakes are widely recognized and respected for their historical and traditional
significance. Lakes provide prime opportunities for recreation, tourism and
residential spaces, offering the beauty of nature and the flourishing ecosystem
they automatically create. Proper lake ecosystems can ease the impact of floods
and droughts by storing large amounts of water and releasing it during shortages.
Lakes also work to replenish groundwater, positively influence water quality of
downstream water courses, and preserve the biodiversity and habitat of the area.
Healthy lakes and their shores not only provide us with a number of
environmental benefits but they influence our quality of life and they strengthen
our economy.

WHY ARE LAKES IMORTANT IN URBAN AREAS?

They reduce the temperatures, reduce the pollution, serve as catchment for
rainwater, also prevent flooding and also help in supplying drinking water and
raising water table. It also creates a habitat for animal and plant life which helps
in increasing the biodiversity.

Group 8 has recently visited the SARAKKI LAKE situated in JARGANAHALLI, JP

NAGAR 7th PHASE, JP NAGAR, BENGALURU, KARNATAKA-560078. It is a lake which
is in dire need of rejuvenation due to human intervention.

Sarakki Lake is also called JARAGANAHALLI LAKE. It is one of the largest lakes
in Bangalore and is located on Puttenahalli main road. Sarakki is an abbreviation
of “Saavira Hakki” which translates to “a thousand birds” in the native Kannada
language. The lake formerly covered an area of 84 acres (34 ha), 34 acres (14 ha)
of which had been encroached by private builders and other establishments as of
2013. According to a survey conducted by the tehsildar of Bangalore South, 135
encroachments were made into the lake area, following which the High Court of
Karnataka ordered for clearing the encroached area in August, 2014. A 10-day
eviction drive began in April 2015 after having issued notices to encroachers. This
lake which was upon a time one of the most glorious has now become a reservoir
for untreated sewage and a dumping yard for the surrounding neighbourhoods.
This lake was a source of water for four villages up until just a few years ago. Now,
due to the urbanization in and around the lake, approximately ten lakh litres of
sewage enters Sarakki Lake every single day, resulting in foul odour. The lake is
completely covered in weeds which are destroying the flora and fauna. The
groundwater of the surrounding area is highly contaminated and has become
unpotable. Even the construction debris has been dumped in tons every day. The
lake is also being encroached upon to pave unplanned roads. Many tents and huts
have recently come up on the embankment surrounding the lake. Because of
encroachments , the lake’s total area has reduced from 86 acres to less than 60
acres , according to recent survey.

Five years ago, the State Government spent a few crores to erect a fence
around the lake. Now this fence is almost non existent and the lake has become a
big dumping yard for sewage and garbage and the residents can only breathe the
polluted air. By looking at the present situation of this lake, it is very difficult to
believe that it is a water body, or even that it once was. But the truth is that
Sarakki lake may be dying , but it isn’t dead yet. It needs quick action to be
restored and rejuvenated.

SARAKKI LAKE AREA IMPROVEMENT TRUST

The Sarakki Lake Area Improvement Trust (SLAIT) is a newly formed non profit
charitable trust which comprises of ten socially conscious and experienced
professionals from diverse fields. It will act as a ‘neighbourhood watch dog’ and
will take effective measures to restore Sarakki Lake. An active member of SLAIT ,
Professor K.S. Bhatt sadly expresses that Sarakki Lake has been encroached upon
indiscriminately by big builders and others in the recent past. They are letting
sewage directly into the lake , dumping construction debris and garbage which is
creating a nuisance by polluting the area. One can just imagine enjoying the
breeze, flora, fauna and clean water in the lake.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?

 Stop inflow of untreated sewage from the surrounding buildings.

 Stop dumping garbage and debris.
 Stop encroachments by roads and other sheds and secure the lake with
proper fencing.

Now, it is everyone’s responsibility to voice their views and come forward to

support Sarakki Lake Improvement Trust, which is already sent memorandum to
the concerned Government officials to take action on restoring the Sarakki Lake
by utilizing the budget provisions for lakes rejuvenation. Let’s join hands and help
to save Bangalore’s lakes one at a time.
 CONCLUSION:

Once upon a time the Sarakki Lake was known for being the biggest and one of
the most beautiful lakes around the Bangalore city. Today, this lake has been
reduced to half of what it was before. The main reason for this pitiable state is
because of human encroachment. The lake has been a source of exploitation for
the big builders and Even the Bangalore police. There has been news since the
year 2015 that, steps are being taken to restore this lake back to normal. But,
upon visiting the lake, it was far from being a scenic spot. The surroundings were
filled with wastes and debris dumped by the construction companies. The soil was
dry and the lake itself had hardly any water. So, what is it that we must do?

Right now, our only focus is to revive this lake back to normal and try to save
something that is worth saving.