<p>The lake in Kotturu town of Kudligi taluk is said to be the third largest lake of Ballari district. And it is on the path to become a clean and clear lake due to the ‘My Lake My Right’ programme, which has been running for the past one and a half months. This programme was initiated as a lake clean-up activity by K Kotresh, an employee of the postal department, in February. While people initially laughed at his effort, they soon realised the importance of the work and joined hands. Thereafter, many organisations too collaborated to clear the weeds in the lake. The team created a WhatsApp group called ‘Namma Kere Namma Hakku’ to share information among the people associated with the project.<br /><br />Every day, the volunteers would clean the lake from 6 to 8 am and 5 to 7 pm. On Sundays, the volunteers worked the entire day. As a result, approximately 200 acres of area in and around the lake has been cleared of weeds. When he first started out, Kotresh realised that it would be difficult to remove all the weeds by hand. So, he decided to continue the work using machinery. People pooled in money and a JCB vehicle was engaged for the work. Afterwards, the JCB vehicle owners provided the vehicle free of cost. Due to this collective effort, about 200 acres of land was cleared in 43 days. Talking about this project, Kotresh says, “Appreciation has poured in for our efforts and we have also earned the support of many people. Local organisations and the government has to take up lake rejuvenation projects more seriously.” <br /><br /><em><br />(Translated by A Varsha Rao)</em></p>
<p>The lake in Kotturu town of Kudligi taluk is said to be the third largest lake of Ballari district. And it is on the path to become a clean and clear lake due to the ‘My Lake My Right’ programme, which has been running for the past one and a half months. This programme was initiated as a lake clean-up activity by K Kotresh, an employee of the postal department, in February. While people initially laughed at his effort, they soon realised the importance of the work and joined hands. Thereafter, many organisations too collaborated to clear the weeds in the lake. The team created a WhatsApp group called ‘Namma Kere Namma Hakku’ to share information among the people associated with the project.<br /><br />Every day, the volunteers would clean the lake from 6 to 8 am and 5 to 7 pm. On Sundays, the volunteers worked the entire day. As a result, approximately 200 acres of area in and around the lake has been cleared of weeds. When he first started out, Kotresh realised that it would be difficult to remove all the weeds by hand. So, he decided to continue the work using machinery. People pooled in money and a JCB vehicle was engaged for the work. Afterwards, the JCB vehicle owners provided the vehicle free of cost. Due to this collective effort, about 200 acres of land was cleared in 43 days. Talking about this project, Kotresh says, “Appreciation has poured in for our efforts and we have also earned the support of many people. Local organisations and the government has to take up lake rejuvenation projects more seriously.” <br /><br /><em><br />(Translated by A Varsha Rao)</em></p>
