The Restoration of the Lakes of Bangalore

About

The Lakes of Bangalore, India are dying at an alarming rate from pollution and neglect… but we can save them if we work together now!

Formerly known as the “Garden City”, this metropolis of 5.4 million people was once dotted with hundreds of lakes which provided food, water, livelihoods, habitat for rare and migratory birds, and the cultural heritage of Bangalore. With the city’s rapid development, today less than a third of the lakes remain, most of which are heavily polluted with human and industrial waste. This has nearly destroyed the ecology and watershed systems in this historical city. The lakes and streams that remain are a lifeline for a half million poverty stricken city dwellers who continue to drink the polluted water spreading disease and sickness. In addition, the city has lost an important connection to its history and faces dire water shortages with nearly one third of projected demand
unlikely to be met.

A City’s Water in Peril – Almost all of the city’s water supply comes from the Cauvery and the Arkavathy Rivers. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) supplies approximately 900 million liters of water daily. However, the demand of water exceeds 1.2 billion liters. Many people once relied on the lakes to suffice their water needs. Most of the lakes of Bangalore are man-made, constructed for the purposes of drinking water, irrigation and fishing. Currently, the lakes in Bangalore suffer heavy amounts of pollution. The Greater Bangalore region once had 400 lakes and now there are only around 93. In the largest lake, Lake Bellandur, a large portion is covered in weeds and fields. The water in the lake is greatly polluted. There is no aquatic life within the lake. The stench emanating from the lake is beyond foul. At the outlet of the lake, heavy foam from an excess of industrial effluent can be seen.

Recapture the Health, Heart, and Heritage of the “Garden City”

Our Solution

Restoring the Lakes of Bangalore is a complex challenge involving many aspects of the city’s infrastructure, ecological and social systems. It’s exactly these challenging interconnections that the Sherwood Institute its local and international partners are prepared to solve. The city and people of Bangalore need your help to initiate the first phase of the restoration which will:

• Analyze existing conditions and fully understand the complex web of interconnections and the local existing conditions that have polluted the lakes so badly.
• Create a Blueprint for a Blue Bangalore that will blend Sherwood Institute’s experience in innovative, regenerative design with loca define and articulate a new vision for the Bangalore Lakes.
• Provide a comprehensive road map for that future.
• Finally, this blueprint will be initiated with the execution of three Lake Restoration Pilot Projects that will clean the water, restore ecology and invigorate local communities.

The project will not only recapture the heritage of the Garden City, it will also serve as an international model for sustainable water infrastructure design.

Support Our Work

The solutions needed to truly restore the lakes exist today.

Truly and permanently reviving the extensive lake network of Bangalore will involve a tremendous amount of work and careful coordination between civil engineers, urban planners, hydraulic engineers, ecological scientists, political bodies and citizens, detailed planning, extensive resources and expert execution. This is why the only way it will happen is with leadership and guidance from groups such as the Sherwood Institute and support from the world through individuals and like you.

DONATE NOW

I have made the restoration of Bangalore Lakes the focus of my term as Miss Earth.
– Nicole Faria, Miss Earth 2010-2011.

Bangalore, like so many cities across the world today is under threat from triple pressures of rising population, rising resource consumption per capita and climate change.
– Michael Thornton, Managing Director of the Sherwood Institute

The solution, you can see it, it’s tangible. It won’t be easy to achieve, but it can be achieved with some very simple steps.
– Bry Sarte, Executive Director of Sherwood Institute

Thank You To Our Partners

• Jennifer: Excellent article, well done The World Bank estimates that forcible “development-induced displacement and...
• Yoshi Pablo: What is the total percentage of plastic that is being recycled in Japan? I know you have some...
• Peter Jacobs: I don’t take too much issue with this article except on one glaring flaw. You said “Where,...
• Nathaniel K. Somuah: I am an Msc. Hydrogeology (Groundwater Resources Development) student at the University of...
• Theodore Lim: Hi, Sure, you may use the pictures with attribution to this site. Best, Theo