City walks the talk on lake protection
Lake-a-Thon marks celebration of Uttarahalli lake rejuvenation
Like any other lake in the City, urbanisation took a toll on Uttarahalli Lake till the BBMP woke up to restore it a year-and-a-half ago.
The water body is now regaining its lost glory. On Saturday, a large number of people gathered at the Uttarahalli Lake on a call given by United Way, an NGO, to celebrate its rejuvenation.
Under the programme ‘Wake the Lake’, United Way organised a Lake-a-Thon with the assistance of Ingersoll Rand, which has decided to adopt the lake for a year and undertake its maintenance and at an estimated budget of
Rs 10 lakh.
The Lake-a-thon was flagged off by Padmashri awardee Zafar Futehally, who is also a member of the National Committee on Environmental Planning, Government of India.
Reviving eco-system
Speaking on the occasion, Sabu Thomas, chairperson of United Way, Bengaluru, said: “Wake the Lake campaign began with the objective to save the quality of water in the City’s lakes, free them from garbage, effluents and other pollutants, help revive the ecosystem in the lakes and increase ground water level in the vicinity of the lakes, leading to availability of potable water. By partnering with corporate organisations such as Ingersoll Rand, we aim to create awareness about saving our lakes and bringing about community ownership through active volunteerism.”
Referring to data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), he said that by 2020 there will be only 78 litres of potable available per person per day in Bangalore against 150 litres required. There is an urgent need to revive the lakes, he added.
Sustainable societies
Venkatesh Valluri, Chairman and President of Ingersoll Rand, India, said: “Local communities are important stakeholders for Ingersoll Rand and through our dedication to corporate citizenship efforts, we seek to create sustainable societies. By partnering with the lake rejuvenation programme, we aim to secure the City’s lakes, reverse ground water depletion and restore the environment.”
“Wake the Lake campaign is a critical step towards social convergence in which corporate organisations, government bodies, not for profit organisations and communities are mobilised to take collaborative action for environmental sustainability,” he added.
