Volunteers walk for Agara Lake

More than 400 volunteers from different walks of life took part in the ‘Save Agara Lake’campaign here on Sunday, organised to highlight the deteriorating condition of the precious water body. The volunteers also collected about 70 bags of plastics and non-biodegradable waste from the lake bed.

Noted environmentalist Yellappa Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary Koushik Mukherjee and Chief Executive Officer, Lake Development Authority, Ravi Ralph joined the volunteers.

“Lakes are like ecological clinics for living beings as they give off fresh oxygen required for human beings and animals. Citizens should be responsible and see that the lakes are not turned into receptacles for garbage. I see lot of people in the City misusing lakes as garbage sites, which is really distressing,” Yellappa Reddy said. 

Ravi Ralph encouraged the volunteers to form a trust by organising environmentally conscious citizens interested in saving the lake.

A volunteer, Sudhakar V Damacherla, said, “Agara Lake, which used to be filled with morning mist and migratory birds, has now fallen to the neglect of urban Bangalore.”

He added that the volunteers have removed many of the overgrown wild shrubs along the lake shore, as they were harbouring illegal activities. Jai Krishnan, another volunteer, said a few volunteers were already in the process of forming a Trust and will start working towards the restoration of Agara Lake soon by taking various measures.  

The volunteers included representatives from various NGOs, residents’ associations, residents from HSR Layout, Koramangala and other surrounding areas.