Lake cleaned on Wetlands Day

A group of volunteers marked the World Wetlands Day on Saturday by removing solid waste from the Devasandra Lake in KR Puram, Bengaluru East.

They carried out the clean up drive under the aegis of the Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI), which organised the event to improve awareness about environmental degradation, sensitise the public and involve the public in conservation efforts.

EFI’s communications-associate Vignesh Mahesh said over 35 volunteers from all walks of lives took part in the drive. “They removed the non-biodegradable waste dumped in the lakefront,” Mahesh said. “These include polythene, rubber, thermocol, abandoned clothing and footwear.”

Mahesh also added: “Public sensitisation campaigns were organised alongside the clean up drive to prevent garbage dumping in future. Our aim was to revive the lake and make it a biodiversified hotspot.”

The EFI team carried out the restoration work at the lake over the past four months. Volunteers cleared much of the solid waste in and around the waterbody. The fenced lake sprawls over a 15-acre area and is partially filled with water.