Bengaluru residents turn saviours: Kasturi Nagar unites to revive lake in neglect for 50 years

The residents of Kasturi Nagar, during their routine strolls through the site, saw piles of garbage and construction debris. On several occasions, they were forced to cover their nose to avoid the smoke emanating due to burning of garbage. Instead of relying on the government to fix the problem, the residents, under the umbrella of Kasturi Nagar Welfare Association (KWA), resolved to revive the lake, which was dying a slow death. 

Saddened by the way a waterbody was neglected by the authorities of Bengaluru, a few residents have joined hands and embarked on a mission to breathe life into B. Channasandra lake (1) at Kasturi Nagar in Banaswadi. The lake, which has been in disuse for nearly half-a-century, is finally set to spring back to life.  

Torn into fragments in 1978 and 1981 for a railway project and then a Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) layout, the lake shrunk from 19.17 acres to 6.2 acres. The water inlet was shut off by the railways to lay the track, and a portion was acquired by the BDA to develop a layout. Having changed hands between government agencies and now with the Forest Department on document, for several years the site remained a no man’s land. 

The residents of Kasturi Nagar, during their routine strolls through the site, saw piles of garbage and construction debris. On several occasions, they were forced to cover their nose to avoid the smoke emanating due to burning of garbage. Instead of relying on the government to fix the problem, the residents, under the umbrella of Kasturi Nagar Welfare Association (KWA), resolved to revive the lake, which was dying a slow death. 

Abhijith N.S, a resident told The Hindu that from July 2024, about 50 residents began contributing ₹1,000 per month towards rejuvenating the lake. The association has so far collected ₹7.5 lakh. “About ₹2 lakh was spent on desilting, removal of debris, and building a walking path. About ₹4 lakh was spent on fencing. We are using precast technology to fence the lake. The fencing work is currently underway,” he said.

Residents volunteered to clean garbage dumped in the site, besides planting saplings. Every day, the residents water the plants. In 2010, the lake was handed over by the Forest Department to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Within a few months, the BBMP handed over the lake to the BDA.

In 2019, the lake was returned to the BBMP. However, the BBMP refused to receive the lake, as the lake size had reduced. According to BBMP’s records, the size of the lake was 20 acre.

In the RTC, the title of the land is with the Forest Department. The residents secured a No Objection Certificate (NoC) from the Forest Department to carryout revamping activities.