Citizens turn wasteland into a thriving green patch

People living near the Somasundarapalya lake teamed up with service organisations and spent around Rs 20 lakh on the project over a period of a year

A wasteland near the Somasundarapalya Lake has been transformed into an urban forest. Called Sundaravana, the green patch now has native trees and plants.

Residents of Somasundarapalya, Hosapalya, and HSR Layout teamed up with Rotary Bengaluru HSR, Community Task Force (CTF) and SayTrees NGO, to clear out a garbage dump and planted 12,500 saplings there, six to eight months ago. The one-feet-tall saplings have now grown to 15 feet.

The project began in 2021, after residents raised complaints about a foul smell emanating from the garbage dump near the lake. “For 30 to 40 years the land attached to the lake was being used to dump waste by the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC). Not only was it an unpleasant view but also a safety hazard. If it caught fire, the whole locality would burn down,” says Suresh V, president, Rotary Bangalore HSR.

Kamesh Rastogi, co-founder of CTF, who stays 100 metres from the lake, believes such a change was a long time coming. “I remember this problem started in the late 70s. In 2015, we tried getting rid of the garbage dump as it was a safety hazard, but no heed was paid to our requests,” he tells Metrolife.

After continuous attempts, with the help of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Lakes Department, the residents managed to secure four acres of land near the lake, and stop garbage dumping in the area. “We have managed to set up a compound wall around the area. Out of the four acres, two acres have been used to build Sundaravana and the rest will be used to build a playground,” adds Suresh.

Today, this urban forest includes native fruit and flower bearing plants like jackfruit, guava, and custard apple. Close to Rs 20 lakh has been spent on the project. “The mini forest also includes an oxygen park. In a patch, we have planted about 200 bamboo trees, which are considered to release more oxygen than other trees,” informs Suresh.

The amount of garbage dumped by the KCDC over the years couldn’t be cleared out as despite digging seven feet deep, citizens couldn’t reach the land. “We decided to level the ground by using mud, red soil and manure. The saplings were planted on top of this using the Miyawaki plantation method, where tree roots grow horizontally and don’t go deep,” he adds. Many aromatic plants have also been planted to mask the smell from the garbage dumping ground nearby.

While resident volunteers will ensure the upkeep of the green patch, Suresh believes Sundaravana will soon grow into a self-sustaining urban jungle. “In a matter of three years, these native trees will grow to form a self-sustaining forest and a lot of maintenance won’t be needed then,” he adds.

Earlier this week, the residents reached out to local authorities to help with beautification of the area, and help in shaping the urban forest. Bommanahalli MLA Satish Reddy has approved two borewells for the park.

“In addition to the borewells, a pathway and benches for visitors have also been approved. Once all this has been set up and final touches are given, the park will be open to all,” Suresh says.