Soon, a bird sanctuary at Puttenahalli lake

Home to many species of local and migratory birds, the Puttenahalli lake in Yelahanka will soon house a bird sanctuary. To make this project a reality, the Lake Development Authority (LDA) has been carrying out works in full swing since the last month.

The project, which was on the back burner for six years, has finally seen the light of day, especially after a team of the Upa Lokayukta visited the poorly-maintained lake and issued on-the-spot orders to revive it.

C K Shivanna, CEO of LDA, told Deccan Herald: “Around four months ago, the Upa Lokayukta team visited the lake and issued on-the-spot orders to revive the lake. By December 2014, we began preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR), which will be ready in two months. But that won’t be the final report.”

The final report will be prepared only after a meeting with local residents, conservationists and officials from various departments, he added.

The approved DPR will then be given to the Forest department to undertake works since it is the custodian of the lake. Niketan Consultants is preparing the DPR at a cost of Rs seven lakh. Based on the DPR, the project cost will be arrived at.

The final report will be sent to the government for approval, after which tenders will be invited. Work on the project is expected to begin only after March, Shivanna added.

Meanwhile, a site inspection report has revealed that sewage has been entering the lake from its upper catchment side (from Attur village).

Besides, the BWSSB has proposed to build a sewage treatment plant at the lake and an underground drainage nearby. The DPR also talks about building walking tracks, islands, besides making provisions for other recreational activities, an LDA official pointed.

Spread across 37 acres and located 14 km from the city centre, Puttenahalli lake welcomes over 125 species of birds and is described as a bird watchers paradise. Birds from Northern Himalayas and Siberia too visit the lake.

Some of the commonly sighted birds are: Painted Stork, Darter, Purple Herons, Open Billed Storks, Eurasian Spoonbills, Spot billed Pelicans, Spot Billed Ducks, Cormorants, Common Sandpipers, Purple Moorhens, Little Grebe, Night Herons and Cattle and Little Egrets.

Conservation concerns
But these developmental activities have raised questions of conservation and protection of bird species.

There have been instances in the past where developmental works have dampened the natural lake biodiversity and birds have moved elsewhere as it had happened in Hebbal, Nagavara, Madiwala and Jakkur lakes.

Also, compared to other parts of the City, northern Bengaluru still sees a healthy population of migratory birds, notwithstanding the increasing traffic and population explosion, the official added.
DH New Service